OP  THE 

Theological   Seminary, 

-pRT^rnRTOTsT-    N.  J.  I 

BS    657    .G6    1859 
ce     Gloag,    Paton  J.    1823-1906 


The  primeval  world 


sn 


BooJc. 


THE    PRIMEVAL    WORLD: 


A    TEEATISE 


KELATIONS  OF  GEOLOGY  TO  THEOLOGY. 


REV.  PATON  J.  GLOAG, 

AUTHOR  OF  A  "  TREATISE  ON  THE  ASSURANCE  OF  SALVATION,' 
AND  A  "  TREATISE  ON  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH." 


EDINBURGH: 

T.  &  T.  CLAEK,  38  GEOEGE  STREET. 

LONDON  :    HAMILTON,  ADAMS,  &  CO.       DUBLIN  :    JOHN  ROBERTSON. 
PHILADELPHIA:    SMITH,  ENGLISH,  &  CO. 


MDCCCLIX. 


"  Let  no  man,  upon  a  weak  conceit,  of  sobriety  or  an  ill-applied  moderation,  think  or 
maintain  that  a  man  can  search  too  far  or  be  too  well  studied  in  the  book  of  God's  word 
or  the  book  of  God's  works — divinity  or  philosophy;  but  rather  let  men  endeavour  an 
endless  progress  or  proficiency  in  both;  only  let  them  beware  that  they  apply  both  to 
charity  and  not  to  arrogance, — to  use  and  not  to  ostentation;  and  again  that  they  do  not 
unwisely  mingle  or  confound  these  learnings  together." — Bacon. 


PREFACE. 


Late  investigations  in  Geology,  have,  as  is  well  known, 
been  hastily  imagined  by  some  to  lead  to  conclusions  at 
variance  with  certain  portions  of  the  Biblical  Narrative. 
Tliose  who  have  endeavoured  to  establish  the  discrepancy 
between  them,  have,  for  the  most  part,  been  adequately 
informed  neither  in  Geology  nor  in  Theology,  and  have 
been  equally  rash  in  taking  for  granted  their  own  conclu- 
sions in  Geology,  and  their  own  interpretations  of  Scrip- 
ture. Their  arguments,  on  the  other  hand,  have  been  very 
frequently  met  by  many  authors,  some  of  whom  have 
indeed  displayed  more  zeal  for  religion  than  capacity  for 
scientific  study,  but  others  have  treated  the  subject  witli 
consummate  knowledge  alike  of  Geology  and  Eeligion.  It 
seems  only  necessary  to  mention  the  late  eloquent  work  of 
Hugh  Miller,  and  more  especially  the  "  Geology  and 
Scripture"  of  Dr.  J.  Pye  Smith,  to  show  how  much  genius 
and  learning  have  been  devoted  to  the  cause  of  religion  in 
reference  to  this  subject.  And  indeed  so  many  books  have 
been  written  on  the  connexion  between  Geolog;y^  and 
revealed  Eeligion,  that  some  apology  seems  necessarj^  for 


IV  PEEFACE. 

the  work  which  the  author  now  ventures  to  intrude  on  the 
public.  All  the  works  alluded  to  have  been  almost 
entirely  confined  to  the  consideration  of  the  facts  of 
Geology  in  their  bearing  on  the  Mosaic  accounts  of  the 
creation  and  the  deluge.  But  whilst  the  author  has  ven- 
tured to  express  his  views  on  these  subjects,  he  has 
thought  that  there  are  important  bearings  of  Geology  upon 
other  branches  of  Theology,  not  yet  sufficiently  discussed, 
and  that  therefore  there  may  be  room  for  a  work  treating 
more  generally  of  the  relation  of  Geology  to  Theology 
His  first  design  was  to  have  written  a  series  of  '  Geological 
Lectures'  on  the  plan  of  Dr.  Chalmers'  'Astronomical 
Lectures;'  but  as  the  principles  and  fundamental  facts  of 
Geology  are  not  so  well  known  as  those  of  Astronomy, 
and  as  many  details  and  technical  terms  were  unavoidable, 
he  was  induced  to  prefer  the  form  of  a  treatise. 

It  will  be  seen  from  a  perusal  of  the  chapter  on  the 
'  Mosaic  days'  that  the  author  has  been  unable  to  think  the 
period  arrived,  when  a  satisfactory  theory  reconciling  the 
Mosaic  cosmogony  with  the  facts  of  Geology,  can  be  very 
confidently  advanced.  He  believes  that  our  knowledge  of 
Geology,  and  particularly  of  what  is  called  the  drift  period, 
is  not  sufficiently  complete  to  admit  of  the  enunciation  of 
any  such  theory,  except  as  an  hypothesis  not  inconsistent 
with  our  present  knowledge,  but  liable  to  be  modified  by 
subsequent  observations  and  discoveries.  He  has  found 
reason  to  dissent  from  several  of  the  opinions  advanced  by 
Hugh  Miller  in  his  '  Testimony  of  the  Rocks,'  perhaps  the 


PEEFACE. 


most  eloquent,  but  by  no  means  the  most  valuable  work  of 
that  great  man. 

It  was  only  after  a  very  careful  examination  of  the 
arguments  on  both  sides  of  the  question,  that  the  author 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  deluge  of  Noah  was  limited 
in  extent.  That  it  was  universal,  as  regards  the  human 
race,  he  firmly  believes,  as  this  is  a  fact  asserted  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  supported  by  general  tradition ;  but  he  sees  no 
evidence  for  supposing  that  it  extended  to  those  portions 
of  the  earth  uninhabited  by  man.  The  arguments,  how- 
ever, which  go  to  prove  that  the  deluge  could  only  have 
been  local,  are  not  derived  chiefly  ft-om  the  science  of 
Geology;  and  at  one  time  the  author  thought  that  in  a 
work  dealing  with  geological  topics,  this  difficult  question 
might  with  perfect  propriety  have  been  omitted ;  but  as  it 
has  always  been  discussed  in  connexion  with  Geology, 
although  in  truth  the  connexion  is  slight,  and  not  at  all 
obvious,  such  an  omission  might  have  been  regarded  as  a 
serious  defect. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  SKETCH  OP  MODERN  GEOLOGY. 

Our  duty  to  contemplate  the  works  of  God. — Changes  on  the 
earth's  surface. — Aqueous  and  igneous  rocks. — Characteristic 
fossils. — Order  and  succession  of  strata. — Thickness  of  the  stra- 
tified rocks. — Commencement  of  creation. — Heat  of  the  globe. 
— Future  condition  of  the  earth.        ....  9 

CHAPTER  n. 

ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EARTH  AND  RECENT  ORIGIN  OP  MAN, 

I.  The  antiquity  of  the  earth. — Proved  from  the  stratified  rocks. — 
Proved  from  the  fossil  remains. — Geology  and  astronomy  com- 
pared.— II.  The  recent  origin  of  man. — Scriptural  account  of 
Creation. — Geological  periods.  ....  28 

CHAPTER  III. 

SUCCESSIVE  CREATION  OP  SPECIES. 

Series  of  different  creations. — The  development  hypothesis. — No 
scientific  facts  in  its  favour. — Impossibility  of  the  transmuta- 
tion of  species. — Geology  opposed  to  transmutation. — Geologi- 
cal system  of  progression. — Creation  by  Divine  interposition. — 
Introduction  of  species. — Miraculous  and  special  Providence.  h:i 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK  rV. 

THE  MOSAIC  DATS. 

The  Mosaic  account  of  creation. — I.  The  nature  of  the  language 
employed. — II.  Meaning  of  the  word  creation. — III.  Meaning 
of  the  term  days. — IV.  Meaning  of  the  term  earth.  .  80 

CHAPTER  V. 

EXISTENCE  OP  DEATH  BEFORE  SIN. 

Supposed  changes  by  the  fall. — I.  Death  of  the  inferior  animals 
before  the  fall. — II.  This  not  contradicted  by  Scripture. — 
III.  Death  among  the  lower  animals  a  benevolent  dispensation.     114 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  DELUGE. 

Scientific  view  of  the  deluge. — The  physico-theological  school. —  ^ 
Fossil  remains  not  the  effects  of  the  deluge. — The  drift  not 
caused  by  the  deluge. — The  deluge  limited  in  its  extent  and 
effects. — Scriptural  statements  with  reference  to  the  deluge. — 
No  geological  facts  opposed  to  the  deluge.  .  .  136 

CHAPTER  VII. 

DIVINE  BENEVOLENCE  ILLUSTRATED  BY  GEOLOGY. 

Goodness  of  God  seen  in  His  works. — Divine  goodness  toward  the 
inferior  animals. — Divine  goodness  seen  in  the  geological 
agencies  of  change;  in  the  inclination  of  the  stratified  rocks; 
in  the  minerals  of  the  earth ;  in  the  existence  of  volcanoes. — 
Conclusion.     .  .  .  .  .  .  .  169 


RELATIONS  OF  GEOLOGY  TO  THEOLOGY. 


CHAPTEE   I. 

A  SKETCH  OF  MODERN  GEOLOGY. 

It  is  a  Christian  duty  to  meditate  upon  the  character  of 
God,  not  only  as  exhibited  in  grace  and  redemption,  but 
also  as  displayed  in  creation.  God  is  the  Author  of  nature 
as  well  as  of  revelation.  His  existence  is  declared,  and 
His  perfections  are  manifested  in  the  one  as  well  as  in  the 
other,  and  therefore  both  claim  our  devout  attention  and 
earnest  study.  The  Apostle  Paul  tells  us  that  the  Gentiles, 
who  were  not  privileged  with  a  wi^itten  revelation  of  the 
Divine  will,  might,  from  the  contemplation  of  the  works  of 
creation,  attain  to  a  knowledge  of  the  perfections  of  God — 
His  eternal  power  and  godhead.  On  the  one  hand,  it  is 
described  as  the  character  of  the  righteous,  that  they  delight 
to  contemplate  God  in  His  works :  "  The  works  of  the  Lord 
are  gi-eat,  sought  out  of  all  them  that  have  pleasure  therein ;" 
whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  represented  as  the  cha- 
racter of  the  wicked,  that  "  they  regard  not  the  works  of 
the  Lord,  neither  consider  the  operation  of  His  hands." 
True  piety  derives  much  of  its  enjoyment  from  the  con- 
templation of  the  works  of  God.  The  good  man  studies 
the  book  of  nature  as  well  as  the  book  of  revelation,  and 

A 


10  CONTEMPLATION  OF  THE  WORKS  OF  GOD. 


regards  them  both  as  inspired  by  God.  Wherever  he  goes, 
he  sees  the  footprints  of  his  Creator,  at  whatever  he  looks, 
he  beholds  the  marks  of  His  handiwork,  and  he  is  never 
alone,  for  he  finds  himself  on  all  sides  surrounded  with 
God.  He  considers  the  heavens  as  the  work  of  God's 
fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars  as  ordained  by  Him,  the 
landscapes  as  painted  by  His  pencil,  the  grassy  fields  and 
fruitful  vales  as  enriched  from  His  liberality,  and  the 
majestic  rivers,  the  sources  of  fertility  and  happiness, 
as  the  tokens  and  evidences  of  His  love.  Our  blessed 
Saviour  has  set  us  the  example  of  thus  contemplating  God 
in  His  works.  His  discourses  have  continual  reference  to 
the  works  of  nature ;  from  them  He  drew  the  sublimest 
lessons  of  piety,  and  by  them  He  represented  the  mysteries 
of  His  kingdom.  He  discourses  upon  the  fowls  of  heaven 
and  the  sowing  of  the  seed,  and  from  the  lilies  of  the  field 
He  reads  us  the  lesson  of  confidence  in  God.  "  Consider 
the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow ;  they  toil  not,  neither 
do  they  spin ;  and  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that  even  Solomon 
in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these." 

There  is  a  vast  variety  in  the  works  of  God,  and  ample 
scope  for  the  tastes  and  acquirements  of  each  observer. 
Every  branch  of  science  is  replete  with  the  evidences  of 
the  Divine  perfections,  and  instructive  with  the  lessons  of 
piety.  Astronomy  vmfolds  to  us  the  glories  of  the  heavens, 
and  in  those  countless  worlds  which  it  displays  reveals 
the  grandeur  of  God ;  comparative  anatomy  exhibits  His 
infinite  wisdom  in  all  those  numberless  and  wonderful 
adaptations  of  means  to  ends ;  zoology  teaches  us  the 
goodness  of  the  Creator  in  the  capacities  for  enjoyment  of 
the  different  animals ;  and  moral  philosophy  reveals  to  us 
the  holiness  and  purity  of  His  character.  His  perfections 
also  are  indelibly  engraven  upon  the  rocks ;  and  however 


CHANGES  ON  THE  EARTHS  SURFACE.  11 

barren  of  instruction  these  may  apjiear  to  the  inattentive 
observer,  yet  they  are  in  reality  inscribed  with  characters 
which  prochiim  that  God  is  good.  If  the  heavens  declare 
the  glory  of  God,  the  rocks  do  not  less  strikingly  proclaim 
His  wisdom  and  benevolence.  If  astronomy  unfolds  to 
us  the  wonders  of  creation  in  the  immensity  of  space,  geo- 
logy displays  these  wonders  in  the  inmiensity  of  time. 
"  The  Lord  is  a  great  God,  and  a  great  King  above  all  gods. 
In  his  hand  are  the  deep  places  of  the  earth;  the  strength 
of  hills  is  his  also." 

In  this  chapter  we  propose  giving  a  sketch  of  Modern 
Geology.  Of  course  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  enter  into 
tlie  minutiee  of  the  science,  or  even  to  point  out  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  results  have  been  obtained.  This  is  a 
subject  which  already  occupies  volumes,  and  which  is  not 
nearly  exhausted.  We  merely  state  the  results;  and  in 
doing  so  we  shall  avoid,  as  carefully  as  possible,  all  tech- 
nical terms,  although  the  nature  of  the  subject  renders  it 
impossible  to  omit  them  entirely.  The  facts  which  we 
shall  mention,  he  it  remembered,  unless  the  contrary  is 
stated,  are  not  mere  theories,  or  probabilities,  or  specula- 
tions, but  absolute  certainties,  which  have  been  completely 
demonstrated. 

We  are  accustomed  to  regard  the  surface  of  the  earth  as 
being  upon  the  whole  permanent.  We  have  always  looked 
upon  the  same  hills,  the  same  valleys,  the  same  fields,  the 
same  brooks,  and  the  same  rivers ;  nor  can  the  mind  con- 
ceive any  emblems  of  stability  more  impressive  than  those 
everlasting  mountains,  whose  vast  and  imposing  outlines 
remain  unchanged  from  one  generation  to  another.  The 
slightest  thought,  however,  soon  corrects  these  impressions, 
and  teaches  us  that  what  we  regard  as  permanent  is  in 
reality  continually  changing.     The  brooks  and  rivers  are 


I  -2  CHANGES  ON  THE  EARTH  S  SUEFACE. 

constantly  wearing  down  the  hills,  and  carrying  with  them 
(earthy  materials  to  the  valleys  beneath.  Every  shower  of 
rain  which  falls  disintegrates  a  portion  of  earth,  which  is 
carried  away  by  the  rill  or  stream.  The  waves  of  the 
ocean  wear  away  the  shore,  and  nndermine  the  rocks. 
And  we  read  in  other  quarters  of  the  world  of  earthquakes 
which  alter  the  appearance  of  a  whole  district,  and  of 
volcanoes  which  elevate  mountains,  and  spread  their  con- 
tents of  lava  and  ashes  over  the  soil.  And  these  changes 
are  constant;  at  no  time  are  the  causes  which  produce 
them  at  rest;  the  rivers  are  continually  carrying  down 
earthy  materials,  and  strewing  them  upon  the  ocean  bed ; 
and  the  waves  are  constantly  dashing  against  our  coasts, 
and  altering  their  general  outline.  All  is  in  a  state  of 
change — ceaseless,  incessant  change.  In  reality,  the  exist- 
ing mountains  are  gradually  becoming  less,  and  the  exist- 
ing oceans  are  gradually  fdling  up,  although  many  centuries 
may  pass  before  the  change  become  perceptible.  In  the 
remarkable  words  of  Job,  so  descriptive  of  these  changes: 
"  Surely  the  mountain  falling  cometh  to  nought,  and  the 
rock  is  removed  out  of  his  place.  The  waters  wear  the 
stones :  thou  washest  away  the  things  which  grow  out  of 
the  dust  of  the  earth." 

Nor  are  these  changes  which  are  constantly  taking  place 
.so  small  as  we  are  apt  to  imagine.  During  floods  eyery 
brook  and  rill  assumes  a  muddy  appearance,  bearing  along 
with  it  a  large  quantity  of  mud,  sand,  and  small  stones 
into  the  stream  with  which  it  unites;  and  the  streams, 
likewise  charged  with  mud,  flow  into  a  river,  which  car- 
ries a  vast  amount  of  matter  into  the  ocean.  Now,  if  this 
is  the  case  in  one  small  district,  how  immense  must  be  the 
ipiantity  of  sediment  conveyed  by  rivers  over  the  whole 
earth.     Nay,  more,  if  such  is  the  case  with  us  in  a  com- 


CHANGES  ON  THE  EARTH's  SURFACE.         13 

paratively  quiet  district,  what  must  be  the  case  in  thosf 
countries  where  rain  falls  in  torrents,  and  compared  with 
whose  rivers  ours  are  hut  as  streams?  The  Nile  of  Egypt,* 
the  Niger  of  Africa,  the  Ganges  of  India,  the  Yellow  Kiver 
of  China,  and  the  still  mightier  rivers  of  America,  nmst 
carry  yearly  an  incalculable  amount  of  matter  into  tlu- 
ocean.  The  Amazon  is  said  to  carry  down  with  it  such 
an  immense  quantity  of  mud,  that  it  colours  the  waters  of 
the  ocean  to  the  distance  of  three  hundred  miles  from  the 
shore.  The  sediment  which  the  Ganges  conveys  to  the 
Bay  of  Bengal  has  been  carefully  estimated,  and  is  said  to 
be  seven  hundred  thousand  cubic  feet  per  hour.  This 
would  be,  as  Sir  Charles  Lyell  remarks,  as  if  nearly  sixty 
great  pyi-amids  of  Egypt  were  carried  down  annually  intn 
tlie  sea,  the  base  of  that  pyramid  covering  eleven  acres, 
and  its  perpendicular  height  being  nearly  five  luindred 
feet.  "  It  is  scarcely  possible,"  adds  that  author,  "  to  pre- 
sent any  picture  to  the  mind  which  w41i  convey  an  ade- 
([uate  conception  of  the  mighty  scale  of  this  operation,  so 
tranquilly  and  almost  insensibly  carried  on  by  the  Ganges, 
as  it  glides  through  its  alluvial  plain,  even  at  the  distance 
of  five  hundred  miles  from  the  sea.  It  may,  however,  be 
stated,  that  if  a  fleet  of  more  than  eighty  Indiamen,  each 
freighted  witli  about  one  thousand  four  hundred  tons'  weight 
of  mud,  were  to  sail  down  the  river  every  hour  of  every  day 
and  night  for  four  months  continuously,  they  would  only 
transport  from  the  higher  country  to  the  sea  a  mass  of 
solid  matter  equal  to  that  borne  down  by  the  Ganges,  even 
in  this  part  of  its  course,  in  the  four  months  of  the  flood 
season ;  or  the  exertions  of  a  fleet  of  about  two  thousand 
finch  ships  going  down  daily  with  the  same  burden,  and 

♦  The  Nile  is  estimated  to  cany  down  annually  into  the  sea  three 
thousand  millions  of  cubic  feet  of  detritus. 


14         CHANGES  ON  THE  EAETH'S  SUEFACE. 

discliarging  it  into  the  gulf,  would  be  no  more  than  equi- 
valent to  the  operations  of  the  great  river."  In  addition 
to  this,  it  is  probable  that  the  Brahmapootra,  which  empties 
itself  into  the  same  estuary,  conveys  annually  as  much 
solid  matter  to  the  Bay  of  Bengal  as  the  Ganges* 

But  we  must  not  merely  consider  the  amount  of  change 
which  is  at  present  going  on  upon  the  earth's  surface ;  we 
must  remember  that  the  same  changes  have  existed  and 
exercised  their  influence  during  past  ages.  The  same 
changes  have  been  going  on  during  the  six  thousand  years 
since  man  was  created,  and,  as  we  will  have  abundant 
reason  to  conclude  before  this  chapter  is  finished,  during 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  years  before  that  event. 
There  never  has  been  a  cessation  of  these  influences. 
There  never  has  been  a  time  when  the  earth  was  at  rest. 
Rain,  rivers,  and  the  ocean  have  been  continually  wearing 
down  the  earth,  and  reducing  it  to  a  level.  And,  on  the 
other  hand,  opposite  agencies  have  also  been  at  work. 
Earthquakes  and  volcanoes  have  ever  exerted  an  elevating 
influence,  raised  land  from  the  ocean  bed,  elevated  moun- 
tains, and  preserved  the  inequality  of  the  earth's  surface."f- 

*  Lyell's  "  Principles  of  Geology"  p.  282,  ninth  edition.  This  work 
ought  to  be  read  by  all  who  wish  to  know  anything  about  geology.  It 
is  undoubtedly  the  best  book  on  the  principles  of  geology  in  this  or  any 
other  language.  Its  value  is  increased  by  a  remarkably  perspicuous  and 
fascinating  style.  It  is  not  merely  a  standard  work  on  geology,  but  also 
in  English  literature.  Perhaps  Sir  C.  Lyell  theorises  and  exercises  his 
ingenuity  too  much ;  and,  as  Professor  Sedgwick  remarks,  it  would  be 
desirable  were  the  work  stripped  even  of  the  semblance  of  hypothetical 
assumption. 

t  Some  cities  in  our  own  country  which  were  once  seaports  are  now 
far  inland,  and  others  which  once  existed  have  disappeared,  being  sunk 
below  the  level  of  the  sea.  Some  countries,  as  Scandinavia,  it  has  been 
demonstrated,  are  gradually  rising,  whilst  others,  as  Greenland,  are  gra- 
dually sinking.  And  thus  the  dry  land  and  the  ocean  are  changing 
places. 


FORMATION  OF  ROCKS.  15 

In  the  productiou  of  these  changes  there  have  been  two 
agencies  at  work — fire  and  water.  These  agencies  are 
antagonistic  in  their  effects.  Fire,  by  means  of  earth- 
quakes and  volcanoes,  has  exerted  an  elevating  influence, 
and  raised  land  to  a  higher  level;  whilst  water,  in  the 
rivers  and  the  ocean,  has  exerted  a  degrading  influence, 
and  worn  down  the  earth  to  a  lower  level  These  agencies 
have  ever  been  at  work  during  the  vast  cycles  of  the  geo- 
logical history  of  the  world,  and  are  the  causes  of  all  those 
mighty  revolutions  which  have  taken  place  upon  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth. 

And  now  let  us  advance  a  step  farther.     We  have  con- 
sidered the  changes  in  operation,  let  us  now  see  if  we  can 
discern  their  effects  in  the  rocks  around  us.     And,  for  this 
puq)ose,  it  is  only  necessary  to  consider  what  sandstone, 
the  most  common  of  all  our  stones,  really  is.     Its  very 
name  implies  that  it  is  nothing  more  than  sand  consoli- 
dated into  stone.     If  so,  then  it  must  have  been  water- 
borne,  and  water-formed.     It  must  originally  have  formed 
the  shore,  or  rather  the  bed  of  some  primitive  ocean.     In 
some  sandstones,  termed  conglomerates,  we  find  many  small 
stones  or  pebbles  embedded;  and  it  is  to  be  remarked, 
that  these  small  stones  are  in  general  rounded,  proving  the 
action  of  water.     What,  then,  are  these  conglomerates,  but 
the  gravel  or  the  beach  of  some  former  ocean  converted 
into  stone?     So,  also,  what  is  shale,  but  consolidated  mud? 
In  short,  the  rocks  above  mentioned  are  composed  of  pre- 
cisely the  same  materials  as  the  deposits  in  our  estuaries 
and  seas.     Besides,  in  many  of  the  sandstones  we  actually 
find  the  ripple-mark  of  the  ocean's  waves,  even  as  we  now 
see  it  on  our  coasts  and  shores.     But  what  puts  the  mat- 
ter beyond  debate,  is  the  fossil  or  organic  remains  which 
are  sometimes  found  in  these  rocks,  generally  the  remains 


16  STRATIFIED  AND  UNSTRATIFIED  ROCKS. 

of  some  marine  shell,  animal,  or  plant,  just  as  shells  and 
fish  exist  in  our  present  oceans,  and  as  animals  and  plants 
are  carried  into  them  by  our  rivers. 

There  are,  however,  rocks  of  an  entirely  different  de- 
scription, which  exhibit  no  proofs  of  the  action  of  water, 
and  no  traces  of  organic  remains.  They  are  in  general 
shapeless,  and  not,  like  the  rocks  above  mentioned,  strati- 
fied or  laid  out  in  layers.  Such,  for  example,  are  the  traps 
and  granites  of  our  mountains.  Now,  it  has  been  proved 
that  these  rocks  have  been  caused  by  the  action  of  heat, 
and  that  they  have  once  been  in  a  state  of  fusion — that, 
in  short,  they  are  similar  to  the  products  of  modern  vol- 
canoes.* 

The  difference  between  these  two  classes  of  rocks — the 
igneous  and  the  aqueous,  or  as  they  are  commonly  called, 
the  stratified  and  the  unstratified,  is  so  marked  that  it  can  at 
once  be  known  by  inspection.  There  have,  then,  been  two 
great  agencies  in  the  formation  of  rocks — water,  the  agency 
employed  in  the  formation  of  the  stratified,  as  sandstone  and 
shale ;  and  fire,  the  agency  employed  in  the  formation  of 
the  unstratified,  as  trap  and  granite :  the  same  agencies 

*  The  similarity  between  these  rocks  and  the  volcanic  products  of 
modern  times,  is  too  close  to  permit  us  to  doubt  that  they  are  both  of  the 
same  origin.  Often  the  materials  are  precisely  the  same :  many  of  the 
ancient  basalts  are  undistinguishable  from  the  productions  of  existing 
volcanoes.  When  in  existing  volcanoes  the  melted  matter  comes  in  con- 
tact with  other  rocks,  it  often  changes  them  and  sometimes  penetrates 
into  them :  so  also  the  stratified  rocks  in  contact  with  the  unstratified 
exhibit  a  similar  change,  as  if  they  had  been  acted  upon  by  heat,  and  veins 
are  often  seen  to  intrude  themselves.  The  same  phenomenon  of  dykes 
or  intervening  masses  of  rock  is  common  to  the  ancient  imstratified  rocks 
and  the  modern  volcanic  rocks.  And  as  modern  volcanic  rocks  contain 
no  fossils,  unless  it  so  happens  tliat  the  lava  has  flowed  over  organic  re- 
mains; so  also  is  it  the  case  with  the  unstratified  rocks.  In  all  these  and 
in  numerous  other  respects,  these  unstratified  rocks  are  precisely  similar 
to  those  which  now  originate  from  igneous  agencies. 


CHAEACTEEISTIC  FOSSILS.  17 

which  now  exercise,  the  one  a  degrading,  and  the  other  an 
elevating  influence  on  the  earth's  surface.  The  igneous  or 
uustratified  rocks,  from  being  destitute  of  fossils,  will  not 
at  present  occupy  our  attention  :  what  we  have  still  to  say 
refers  wholly  to  the  aqueous  or  stratified. 

In  the  stratified  rocks — the  sandstones,  shales,  and  lime- 
stones, there  are  often  found  abundant  remains  of  animals 
— skeletons  of  creatures  which  once  had  life.  These  organic 
remains  are  very  numerous,  amounting,  it  is  said,  to  thirty 
thousand  species  of  plants  and  animals.*  And  what  is  here 
to  be  particularly  attended  to  is,  that  by  far  the  greater 
number  of  these  fossils  are  entirely  different  from  the  crea- 
tures which  are  now  living  upon  the  earth;  those  few 
which  are  the  same  are  chiefly  confined  to  a  few  shells,  and 
are  all  found  among  the  uppermost  rocks;  thus  demon- 
strating that  when  by  far  the  greater  number  of  these  rocks 
were  deposited,  the  present  race  of  animals  had  not  existed. 
These  fossils,  then,  are  almost  all  the  vestiges  of  former 
creations — impressions  upon  the  sands  of  time  which  were 
made  ages  before  man  existed — the  relics  of  former  worlds. 

It  is  also  to  be  observed,  that  there  are  what  have  been 
denominated  characteristic  fossils ;  that  is,  fossils,  or  orga- 
nic remains,  which  are  peculiar  to  one  particular  formation, 
and  which  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  other.  For  example, 
there  is  a  class  of  rocks  called  the  "  old  red  sandstone  for- 
mation:" now  there  are  certain  kinds  of  fish  which  are 
peculiar  and  confined  to  it,  and  which  are  not  to  be  found 
in  any  other  rocks  either  below  or  above.  These  fish,  then, 
are  the  characteristic  fossils  of  the  old  red  sandstone.   Now, 

♦  Dr.  Hitchcock  states  that  the  number  of  species  found  in  the  fossiU- 
ferous  rocks  amounts  to  thirty  thousand.  Several  years  ago.  Professor 
Bronn  described  twenty-six  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
species. 


18  OEDEE  OF  THE  STEATIFIED  EOCKS. 

from  this  fact,  it  follows  that  these  characteristic  fossils, 
being  peculiar  to  particular  strata,  discriminate  these  strata 
from  all  others.  Thus,  then,  the  discovery  of  a  single  char- 
acteristic fossil — of  a  single  leaf,  or  fish,  or  shell,  or  tooth, 
or  bone  of  a  reptile  is  sufficient  to  determine  the  geological 
age  of  the  formation  in  which  it  is  found.* 

Geologists  have  proved,  by  careful  and  extensive  inspec- 
tion, that  there  is  a  regular  and  unvaried  order  or  succes- 
sion of  the  different  stratified  rocks — that  there  is  a  series 
of  strata,  and  that  the  order  in  this  series  is  never  inverted. 
Thus,  for  example,  there  is  a  particular  rock  called  the 
lias,  which  intervenes  in  the  series  between  a  rock  called 
the  oolite  above  it,  and  a  rock  called  the  triassic  below  it ; 
now  this  order  is  never  inverted  ;  the  lias  is  never  found 
above  the  oolite  or  below  the  triassic.  Tt  is  not  meant  that 
the  series  of  formations  is  to  be  found  complete  in  any  spot 
of  the  earth's  surface ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  always  imper- 
fect, and  often  some  of  the  intervening  members  of  the 
series  are  awanting ;  but  what  is  meant  is,  that  there  is  a 
uniformity  of  sequence.  *[•  Now,  this  being  the  case,  it  is 
evident  that  the  lowest  rock  in  the  series  is  the  oldest  or 

*  "A  well-pi'epared  conchological  geologist,"  observes  Dr.  Pye  Smith, 
"  looks  to  the  succession  of  strata  as  the  possessor  of  a  cabinet  does  to  the 
order  of  his  shelves ;  and,  with  a  certainty  as  precise,  knows  what  species 
are  to  be  found  on  eveiy  layer." — Smith's  "  Scripture  and  Geology,"  p.  57, 
Bohn's  edition. 

t  "  The  arrangement  of  the  various  formations  may  be  represented  by 
an  alphabetical  series  from  a  to  z;  and  this  order,  though  it  is  frequently 
imperfect,  is  never  inverted.  We  often  miss  one  or  more  terms  in  the 
series,  and  lose,  say  the  b,  or  h,  or  m,  or  even  several  letters  in  succes- 
sion ;  but  we  never  find  the  b  taking  the  place  of  the  a,  or  the  J  preceding 
the  c,  or  any  member  of  the  series  usurping  the  position  of  another  which 
ought  to  go  before  it ;  in  other  terras,  we  never  meet  with  the  entire 
series  of  deposits  in  one  place,  but  those  which  do  occur  invai'iably  follow 
the  regular  order  of  sequence." — Kicuardson's  "  Geology,"  p.  59,  Bohn's 
Edition. 


THICKNESS  OF  THE  STRATIFIED  ROCKS.  19 

first  formed,  and  the  uppermost  rock  is  the  newest  or  last 
formed.  These  rocks  are  distinguished  from  each  other, 
not  so  nmch  by  their  mineral  character,  which  in  many  of 
them  is  the  same,  as  by  the  order  of  succession  which  may 
be  traced,  and  by  the  characteristic  fossils  which  are  found 
embedded  in  them.  Geologists  have  arranged  these  difier- 
ent  rocks  into  systems  or  formations,  and  to  each  they  have 
given  cei-tain  technical  names  agreed  upon.  There  are  at 
least  twelve  such  formations  or  systems,  each  of  wdiich  has 
probably  taken  myriads  of  years  to  be  formed,  and  each  of 
which  is  the  sepulchre  of  a  separate  creation.* 

It  is  evident  that,  there  being  a  regular  series  of  strati- 
fied rocks,  geologists  may  obtain  some  proximate  knowledge 
of  the  depth  or  thickness  of  the  strata,  supposing  them  all 
lying  the  one  above  the  other.  This  may  be  done  by 
measuring  the  thickness  of  each  particular  formation,  and 
adding  them  together.  Now,  geologists  have  calculated 
that  the  thickness  of  the  fossiliferous  rocks  is  nearly  eight 
miles,  and  that  below  them  there  is  a  series  of  aqueous  or 
stratified  rocks,  which  are  unfossiliferous,  and  whose  thick- 
ness is  at  least  two  miles  more.  It  is  evident  that  this 
thickness  cannot  be  ascertained  by  direct  measurement  at 
any  one  part  of  the  earth.  The  highest  mountains  are  not 
five  miles  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  deepest  mines 
are  only  half-a-mile  below  it,— how,  then,  it  may  be  asked, 
can  it  be  asserted  that  the  stratified  rocks  are  ten  miles  in 
thickness?     If,  indeed,  the  rocks  had  remained  as  they 

*  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  geological  formations,  begin- 
ning at  the  lowest  formation,  that  is,  the  oldest  or  first  formed.  The  Clay 
slate  formation,  the  Silurian  formation,  the  Old  Red  Sandstone,  the  Car- 
boniferous system,  the  Permian  and  Triassic  formations,  the  Lias  and 
Oolite,  the  Wealden,  and  the  Cretacious  system,  the  Tertiary  formation, 
and  the  Alluvium  or  present  formation.  Each  of  these  is  again  subdi- 
vided into  groups,  and  the  groups  into  series. 


20  ORDEK  OF  ORGANIC  REMAINS. 

were  originally  deposited,  the  one  above  the  other;  if  the 
theory  of  the  old  cosmogonists  was  true,  that  the  earth 
before  the  flood  was  a  perfect  level  surface,  "without  a 
wrinkle  or  a  scar,"*  it  would  be  impossible  to  become 
acquainted  with  its  strata.  But  this  is  by  no  means  the 
case.  There  are  comparatively  very  few  places  where  the 
,rocks  lie  in  a  perfectly  horizontal  position;  they  have  been 
raised  and  displaced  by  igneous  agency,  and  are  now  found 
inclined  to  one  another;  and  thus,  from  their  inclined 
position,  we  are  enabled  to  know  far  more  than  could  be 
obtained  by  a  mere  examination  of  the  eminences  and 
depressions  of  the  earth;  and  from  this  circumstance,  geo- 
logists have  been  enabled  to  conclude  that  the  stratified 
rocks, — that  is,  those  rocks  which  were  originally  sand, 
mud,  or  lime,  deposited  by  water, — are  at  least  ten  miles 
in  thickness. 

In  each  of  these  formations  there  is  a  separate  group  or 
class  of  organic  remains ;  so  that  there  exists  not  only  a 
series  of  stratified  rocks,  but  also  a  series  of  separate  groups 
of  plants  and  animals.  Not  that  these  groups  are  entirely 
distinct,  for  some  few  of  the  organic  forms  of  one  formation 
are  sometimes  to  be  found  in  an  adjoining  formation;  but 
these  forms  are  comparatively  exceptional  and  few  in 
number,  and  speaking  generally,  the  organic  remains  of 
one  formation  are  of  a  different  type,  and  are  easily  distin- 
guished, from  the  organic  remains  of  another.  Thus, 
then,  before  man  was  created,  the  world  has  been  replen- 
ished over  and  over  again  by  orders  of  creatures,  entirely 
different  from  those  now  living; — during  the  incalculable 
ages  of  the  past  this  earth  existed,  and  then  as  now  beasts 
trod  upon  its  surface  and  fisli  swam  in  its  waters.     Such 

*  The  allusion  in  the  text  is  to  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet's  celebrated  Theory 
of  the  Earth. 


OEDEE  OF  OEGANIC  REMAINS.  21 

are  the  records  of  the  earth  which  geology  has  disclosed  to 
us:  its  history  is  engraven  upon  the  stones — the  annals  of 
past  creations. 

And  now  let  lis  endeavour,  if  possible,  to  realize  these 
facts  which  we  have  stated.  Let  us  travel  in  imagination 
into  the  distant  past.  Let  us  fix  our  attention  upon  a 
small  portion  of  the  earth.  It  is  the  ocean  bed.  Fish  of 
peculiar  shape  are  swimming  about  it ;  some  with  fins 
spread  out  like  wings,  and  others  with  huge  scales  like  a 
coat  of  armour.  In  general  they  are  carnivorous,  and  prey 
upon  their  fellows.  Ages  roll  on.  These  fish  have  ceased 
to  exist;  their  remains  have  been  embedded  in  the  mud  or 
sand  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean;  this  has  been  consoli- 
dated into  stone,  and  has  been  gradually  elevated  until  it 
forms  part  of  the  dry  land.  And  now  we  are  led,  as  it 
were,  into  a  different  world.  Gigantic  ferns  or  reeds,  like 
trees,  now  grow  upon  the  earth.  A  vegetation  has  sprung 
up  far  ranker  and  more  luxuriant  than  that  which  we  read 
of  in  tropical  climes;  but  not  one  tree,  not  one  plant  is  the 
same  as  any  which  now  exists. — Ages  again  roll  on.  The 
vegetation  has  disappeared;  the  trees  have  been  swept  into 
the  ocean,  or  the  ground  on  which  they  grew  has  been 
submerged;  the  dry  land  has  again  become  sea.  And  in 
that  sea  we  behold  strange  shapes  and  forms — huge  rep- 
tiles and  terrible  monsters  of  the  deep:  there  is  one,  at 
least  thirty  feet  long,  with  a  neck  longer  than  that  of  any 
swan,  a  head  of  a  lizard,  a  body  of  a  crocodile,  and  the 
paddles  of  a  whale:  there  is  another,  a  flying  monster,  a 
reptile  covered  with  scales,  with  wings  similar  to  those  of 
a  bat,  rivalling  in  its  shape  any  of  the  fabulous  dragons  of 
antiquity.  But  their  existence  also  has  its  limits;  the 
species  dies  as  well  as  the  individual ;  the  age  of  reptiles 
has  come  to  its  close;  and  after  ages  upon  ages  have  passed 


22  COMMENCEMENT  OF  CREATION. 

away,  after  another  series  of  elevations  and  submersions, 
after  this  portion  of  the  earth  has  been  sea  and  laud  alter- 
nately, it  is  ultimately  raised,  and  peopled  with  created 
intelligences,  and  is  the  seat  of  the  mightiest  empire  that 
ever  existed  upon  earth,  and  has  become  the  abode  of 
civilization  and  religion;  for  this  portion  of  earth,  the  past 
history  of  which  we  have  traced,  is  a  part  of  the  island  of 
Great  Britain. 

Every  formation  has,  of  course,  been  formed  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sea,  and  is  therefore  a  decisive  proof  that  the 
district  where  it  is  now  found  once  constituted  the  ocean- 
bed.  It  is  also  a  proof  that  dry  land  and  sea  existed  con- 
temporaneously, for  the  materials  of  which  the  formation 
is  composed  were  all  originally  washed  off  from  the  land; 
and  thus  in  past  geological  eras,  whilst  the  stratified  rocks 
were  deposited,  there  never  was  a  time  when  all  was  land 
or  when  all  was  water.  Indeed,  every  portion  of  the  dry 
land  has,  in  all  probability,  been  frequently  at  the  bottom . 
of  the  sea.  "  By  an  abundance  of  various  and  complicated 
evidence,"  says  Dr.  Pye  Smith,  "  it  is  proved  that  there  is 
probably  no  spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  both  the  dry 
land  and  the  seas  as  they  at  present  exist,  which  has  not 
gone  repeatedly  through  the  conditions  of  being  alternately 
the  floor  of  the  waters,  and  an  earthy  surface  exposed  to 
the  atmosphere  and  occupied  by  appropriate  tribes  of  vege- 
table and  animal  creatures."* 

But  do  we  reach  the  limits  of  terrestrial  creation?  Are 
the  animals  found  in  the  lowest  fossiliferous  strata  the 
commencement  of  living  beings?  This  is  a  point  which 
has  not  yet  been  decided  by  geologists.  Some  suppose 
that  there  may  have  been  creations  older  than  those  which 
the  lowest  fossiliferous  system  discloses,  but  whose  remains 

*  Pye  Smith's  ''Scripture  and  Geology"  page  52.     Bohn's  edition. 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  CREATION.  23 

have  been  obliterated  by  heat.  Others  again,  and  those 
best  entitled  to  our  regard  and  credit,  because  they  have 
most  carefully  examined  the  lowest  strata,  assert  that  we 
have  most  probably  reached  the  commencement  of  creation. 
The  lowest  formation  containing  organic  remains  is  termed 
the  Silurian:*  below  it  there  are  stratified  rocks  of  vast 
thickness,  but  wliich  are  destitute  of  fossils:  nor  is  it  a 
just  argument  to  say  that  in  those  the  remains  of  fossils 
may  have  been  obliterated  by  heat,  for  some  of  these  in- 
ferior strata  are  unaltered,  and  are  to  all  appearance  quite 
as  well  adapted  for  the  preservation  of  fossils  as  the 
Silurian  beds  above  them.  So  that,  in  all  probability, 
notwithstanding  the  opinion  of  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished living  geologists  to  the  contrary ,-f-  we  have  reached 
the  beginning  of  creation, — the  point  at  which  the  Almighty 
Creator  called  creatures  into  existence,  and  animated  with 
living  beings  the  earth  which  before  that  period  was  "  with- 
out form  and  void."  "In  a  word,"  says  Sir  Eoderick 
Murchison,  the  distinguished  investigator  of  the  Silurian 
system,  "  we  can  now  fearlessly  assert,  that  the  geological 
history  or  sequence  of  the  earliest  races  of  fossil  animals  is 
firmly  established.  Its  truth  is  sustained  by  the  display 
of  forms  which  mark  the  period  when  the  first  vestiges  of 
life  can  be  discovered,  as  well  as  the  following  successive 
creations;  and  thus  whilst,  with  the  exception  of  one  sacred 
record,  we  can  truly  say  that  the  origin  of  the  greatest 
empires  of  man  is  buried  in  fable  and  superstition,  the 
liard  and  indelible  register,  as  preserved  for  our  inspection 

*  We  have  here  adopted  the  name  given  hy  Sir  Roderick  Murchison. 
Professor  Sedgwick  supposes  that  there  is  a  still  lower  fossiliferous  for- 
mation, which  he  terms  the  Cambrian ;  but  Sir  R.  Murchison  considers 
this  to  be  the  lowest  group  of  the  Silurian.  The  difference  is  entirely 
one  of  words. 

t  Sir  Charles  Lyell. 


24:  COaiMENCEMENT  OF  CREATION. 

in  the  great  book  of  ancient  nature,  is  at  length  interpreted 
and  read  off  with  clearness  and  precision."*  Professor 
Sedgwick  expresses  himself  in  similar  terms:  "  Have  geo- 
logists discovered  any  defined  group  of  strata  marking  the 
period  when  organic  life  first  began?  We  shall  never,  I 
think,  be  able  to  give  any  thing  better  than  a  doubtful 
answer  to  such  a  question  as  this.  In  the  Skiddaw  slates 
are  found  certain  strata  with  impressions  of  Fucoids  and 
Graptolites.  These  are  perhaps  the  oldest  fossil  beds  of 
the  British  isles;  and  below  them  are  other  beds  of  great 
thickness,  not  metamorphic,  and  fit  for  receiving  impres- 
sions of  organic  remains,  yet  without  any  traces  of  animal 
or  vegetable  life."*!* 

Long,  however,  before  these  creations,  the  remains  of 
which  are  found  in  the  rocky  strata,  were  called  into  being, 
this  world  existed,  as  is  evident  from  the  immense  thick- 
ness of  the  unfossiliferous  strata.  Some  philosophers  sup- 
pose that  the  earth  was  originally  in  a  state  of  fusion,  that 
through  the  course  of  ages  it  was  gradually  cooled,  until  it 
was  prepared  to  be  the  abode  of  plants  and  animals,  and 
that  from  that  period  this  cooling  operation  has  been  going 
on,  until  it  reached  such  a  state  as  to  be  fitted  for  man  and 
the  present  race  of  creatures.  This,  indeed,  is  a  hypo- 
thesis, although  probable  and  embraced  by  some  of  the 
greatest  of  our  philosophers,  not  so  well  established  as 
those  facts  which  we  have  mentioned.  It  is,  however, 
almost  certain  that  there  are  oceans  of  fire  in  the  interior 
of  the  globe;  the  lower  we  descend  into  the  earth  the 
warmer  does  it  become,  and  at  the  distance  of  about  fifty 
miles  below  the  surface  the  temperature  is  in  all  proba- 

*  Murchison's  "  Geology  of  Russia,"  vol.  i.,  page  9. 
t  Sedgwick's  "  Discourse  on  the  Studies  of  Cambridge  University." — 
Preface,  page  Iviii.,  fifth  edition. 


THE  FINAL  CONFLAGRATION.  25 

bility  so  hot  as  to  be  able  to  hold  granite  in  a  state  of 
fusion. 

But  geology  does  not  merely  inform  us  of  the  past  con- 
ditions of  the  earth,  it  also  affords  us  some  presages  of  the 
future.  We  have  seen  the  surface  of  the  earth  subject  to 
continual  changes.  Compared  with  the  past  duration  of  the 
world,  many  of  those  mountains,  which  we  speak  of  as  ever- 
lasting, are  but  as  yesterday.  And  these  changes  are  still 
going  on  incessantly.  A  new  formation  is  being  formed  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea, — a  formation  very  different  from  any 
of  those  which  have  liitherto  been  examined,  containing  crea- 
tures of  another  order,  the  remains  of  man  and  his  works. 
Vessels  have  been  wrecked  and  entombed  in  the  ocean, 
and  have  been  embedded  in  the  sedimentary  deposits. 
And  thus,  in  the  course  of  ages,  if  the  world  endure  so 
long,  when  the  ocean  bed  shall  be  raised  and  converted 
into  dry  land,  the  sea  will  disclose  its  treasures,  and 
exhibit  in  a  fossil  condition  the  remains  of  man,  and  the 
different  plants  and  animals  now  existing.  These  are  not 
conjectures,  but  what  must  be  inevitably  realized,  imless 
some  mighty  catastrophe,  unexampled  in  the  history  of 
the  world,  shall  entirely  alter  the  present  state  of  things. 

The  Scriptures  inform  us  that  there  is  a  catastrophe 
which  shall  bring  the  present  economy  to  a  close,  but 
whether  it  be  a  total  revolution  and  subversion  of  natural 
laws,  or  only  similar  to  some  of  those  catastrophes  whicli 
from  time  to  time  have  taken  place  in  past  geological  ages, 
they  do  not  inform  us.  As  the  "  old  world  "  was  formerly 
destroyed  by  the  agency  of  water,  so  the  Scriptures  inform 
us  the  present  world  will  be  destroyed  by  the  agency  of 
fire.  "  The  day  of  the  Lord,"  says  St.  Peter,  "  will  come  as 
a  thief  in  the  night :  in  the  whicli  the  heavens  shall  pass 
away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with 

B 


26  EENOVATION  OF  THE  WOELD. 

fervent  heat,  the  earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are  therein 
shall  be  burnt  np."  And  the  world  has  within  itself  these 
elements  of  its  own  destruction*  The  volcano  and  the 
earthquake  are  most  conclusive  proofs  that  fire  rages  in 
the  interior ;  and  this  fire  has  only  to  be  allowed  free  vent, 
and  then  the  awful  catastrophe  predicted  by  the  apostle 
■vnR  assuredly  take  place.  I  believe  that  such  catastrophes 
have  occurred  in  past  geological  ages,  and  have  swept  away 
former  creations.  And,  in  modern  times,  the  most  awful 
desolations  of  particular  portions  of  the  earth  have  taken 
place  by  means  of  fire:  the  earthquake  has  swept  away 
thousands  of  immortal  beings,  and  in  a  moment  of  time 
ushered  them  into  the  presence  of  their  Judge:  and  the 
volcano  has  desolated  large  districts,  and  converted  them 
into  frightful  deserts ;  and  God  has  but  to  give  the  word, 
and  the  whole  world  will  be  shaken  from  pole  to  pole,  and 
the  imprisoned  fire  will  burst  forth,  and  it  may  be  convert 
the  globe  into  one  vast  volcano,  and  then  every  vestige  of 
being  will  be  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  But  there 
will  be  no  annihilation :  from  this  scene  of  desolation  we 
believe  a  new  world  will  spring  into  existence,  fairer  than 
that  which  has  been  destroyed,  destined,  perhaps,  to  be 
the  abode  of  still  higher  orders  of  creatures,  perhaps  the 
residence  of  redeemed  men.     "  Nevertheless  we,  according 

*  "When  we  consider  the  combustible  nature  of  the  elements 
of  the  earth,  so  far  as  they  are  known  to  us, — the  facility  with  Avhich 
their  compounds  may  be  decomposed,  and  made  to  enter  into  new 
combinations, — the  quantity  of  heat  which  they  evolve  during  these  pro- 
cesses ;  when  we  recollect  the  expansive  power  of  steam,  and  that  water 
itself  is  composed  of  two  gases,  M'hich,  by  their  union,  produce  intense 
heat;  when  we  call  to  mind  the  number  of  explosive  and  detonating 
compovmds  which  have  been  already  discovered;  we  may  be  allowed  to 
share  the  astonishment  of  Pliny,  that  a  single  day  should  pass  Mithout  a 
general  conflagi-ation." — Lyell's  '■'■  Princijiles"  p.  545,  9th  edition 


THE  USE  OF  SCIENCE.  27 

to  his  promise,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness." 

Finally,  let  us  again  press  upon  our  readers  their  cUity 
and  high  privilege  to  contemplate  the  works  of  God.  The 
book  of  nature  lies  open  to  our  inspection,  and  God  has 
endowed  us  with  faculties  and  senses  to  enable  us  to  in- 
terpret it.  It  as  well  as  the  written  word  is  a  revelation 
from  the  God  of  heaven.  We  should  thirst  after  the  trutli 
in  every  form,  aim  simply  at  it,  and  not  be  diverted  or 
turned  aside  from  its  pursuit  by  imaginary  inconsistencies. 
Truth  is  always  one  and  indivisible:  whereas  error  is 
manifold,  and  leads  to  endless  confusion  and  darkness. 
But,  at  the  same  time,  let  us  remember  to  consecrate  all 
our  ac(|uirements  to  God.  Let  the  sciences  be  but  the 
handmaids  of  religion.  God  has  the  entire  right  to  every 
thing  we  have ;  and  tlie  more  entirely  we  are  devoted  to 
him,  the  more  we  infuse  a  religious  spirit  into  every  thing 
we  do,  the  more  do  we  fulfil  the  (ireat  end  of  our  beinu-. 
And  be  assured  that  the  time  spent  in  the  pursuit  of  scien- 
tific knowledge,  when  carried  on  in  a  religious  spirit,  is 
not  lost  in  its  relation  to  the  interests  and  the  pursuits  of 
another  world.  I  believe  that  one  part  of  the  happiness 
of  heaven  will  consist  in  examining  the  works  of  God, — 
in  exercising  those  faculties  which  in  the  pursuit  of  know- 
ledge we  have  exercised  upon  earth, — in  seeing  in  the 
great  laws  which  regulate  the  universe,  in  the  truths  of  tlie 
various  sciences,  and  in  the  solution  of  those  problems  which 
now  engage  our  attention,  new  discoveries  of  God,  fresh 
proofs  of  His  infinite  perfections,  brighter  manifestations 
of  His  eternal  glory.  "  Now  we  see  throng] i  a  glass  darkly, 
but  then  face  to  face ;  now  we  know  in  part,  1  )ut  tlien  we 
shall  know  even  as  also  we  are  known." 


CHAPTEE   II. 

ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EAETH  AND  EECENT  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 

As  the  science  of  astronomy  has  cast  a  light  on  several 
passages  of  Scripture  which  were  formerly  obscure  and  in 
general  misinterpreted,  so  geology  has  rendered  a  similar 
service,  and  in  both  instances  the  works  of  God  have  illus- 
trated His  word.  In  particular,  geology  has  explained  the 
meaning  of  certain  passages  of  Scripture  relating  to  the 
creation,  by  making  known  to  us  the  immense  antiquity  of 
the  world :  it  has  assigned  to  it  an  age  long  anterior  to  the 
Adaniic  creation,  and  has  thus  taught  us  that  the  time 
mentioned  in  the  first  verse  of  Genesis,  when  the  heaven 
and  the  earth  were  created,  and  stated  indefinitely  as  "  in 
the  beginning,"  is  in  reality  separated  by  long  intervening 
ages  from  the  six  days,  in  wliich  the  earth  was  put  into 
its  present  form.  But  geology  has  not  merely  illustrated, 
but  also  confirmed  Scripture :  whilst  it  has  taught  us  the 
antiquity  of  the  world,  it  has  also  revealed  to  us  the  recent 
origin  of  man ;  it  has  demonstrated  that  the  introduction 
of  man  into  this  world  could  not  have  been  long  anterior 
to  the  period  assigned  by  Moses — that,  in  short,  man  is  the 
most  recent  of  created  beings. 

These  are  the  two  points  which  we  propose  to  consider 
in  the  present  chapter,  the  one  as  illustrating  the  scriptural 
declaration  as  to  the  time  of  the  creation  of  the  earth  ;  the 
other  as  confirming  the  scriptural  declaration  as  to  the  time 
of  the  creation  of  man.     In  the  first  place,  we  shall  consi- 


ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EAETH.  29 

der  the  antiquity  of  the  earth ;  and,  in  tlio  second  place, 
the  recent  origin  of  man. 


I.    THE  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EARTH. 

It  was  formerly  a  general  opinion,  and  is  perhaps  still 
a  common  notion,  arising  from  an  erroneous  interpretation 
of  certain  passages  of  Scripture,  that  the  age  of  the  earth 
is  only  six  thousand  years.  It  has  l)ecn  thought  that  Scrip- 
ture teaches  us  that  the  world  was  created  out  of  nothing, 
during  the  six  days  mentioned  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis,  and  that,  consequently,  it  is  only  a  few  days  older 
than  man.  The  time  described  in  the  first  verse  as  "  the 
beginning,"  has  been  understood  to  be  the  commencement 
of  the  six  Mosaic  days.  Now,  ■with  such  a  supposition 
geology  is  entirely  at  variance.  It  leads  our  thoughts  far 
back  into  the  past,  and  asserts  that  ages  upon  ages  before 
man  was  created  this  world  existed,  and  was  the  habitation 
of  living  creatures,  of  beings  wholly  different  from  any 
which  now  exist — the  works  of  Him,  who  is  "  wonderful 
in  counsel,  and  excellent  in  working." 

It  is,  however,  a  difficult  matter  to  exhibit  clearly  the 
evidence  of  the  antiquity  of  the  earth  which  geology 
affords,  not  from  want  of  proof,  but  from  a  superabundance 
of  it.  Each  fact  adduced  must  not  be  considered  singly, 
but  in  connexion  with  other  points.  This  evidence  may,  for 
the  sake  of  perspicuity,  be  arranged  under  two  distinct 
kinds, — that  derived  from  the  thickness  of  the  stratified 
rocks,  and  that  derived  from  the  fossil  or  organic  remains 
found  in  these  rocks. 

1.  The  antiquity  of  the  earth  is  proved  from  the  thick- 
ness of  the  stratified  rocks. 

These  rocks  have  been  formed  by  the  deposition  of  sand 


30  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EAETH 

mud,  or  gravel  in  water :  tliey  are  of  aqueous  origin — 
formed  in  general  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  an  inspection  of  them  :  some  bear  impressed 
upon  them  the  ripple  mark  of  the  waves,  and  most  have 
marine  shells  or  fish  embedded  in  them.  Now  similar 
rocks  are  forming  at  present:  rivers  are  carrying  down 
sand,  mud,  or  gravel  into  the  sea,  and  laying  them  on  the 
ocean  bed,  and  the  waves  are  continually  wearing  down 
the  shore  ;  even  actual  rocks  are  sometimes,  though  rarely, 
formed  by  means  of  pressm-e,  heat,  or  some  cementing  sub- 
stance, and  these  are  in  all  essential  particulars  the  same 
as  the  ancient  rocks.*  Now  this  being  the  case,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  if  we  could  calculate  the  rate  at  which  matter  is 
deposited,  either  by  rivers  in  their  estuary  beds,  or  by  the 
currents  of  the  sea  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  we  could, 
by  comparing  it  with  the  thickness  of  the  stratified  rocks, 
attain  to  some  proximate  notion  of  the  time  required  for 
the  formation  of  these  rocks. 

It  has  l)een  found  that  this  deposition  of  materials  for 
the  production  of  rocks  is  in  reality  a  work  of  extreme 
slowness;  perhaps  on  an  average  only  a  foot  in  a  cen- 
tury, or  about  sixty  feet  in  thickness  during  the  past 
six  thousand  years. "j*  In  some  places,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  large  and  rapid  rivers,  as  the  Mississippi,  the 
Amazon,  the  Yellow  river,  and  the  Ganges,  the  work  of 
deposition  has  been  carried  on  more  rapidly,  but  even  tliis 
rapidity,  comparatively  speaking,  is  slow.  The  changes 
which   have   taken   place  within  the   age  of  history  on 

*  In  Italy,  lime  is  deposited  in  such  quantities  from  calcareous  springs 
and  streams,  that  in  a  few  years  it  forms  excellent  building  stone,  called 
travertine. 

t  "  Lakes  are  ascertained  to  shoal  up  in  the  proportion  of  only  a  foot 
in  a  ccnturj' ;  and  oceanic  deposits  are  knoM'n  to  be  correspondingly  tardy 
of  accumulation." — Kichardson's  "  Geologij"  p.  52,  Bohn's  edition. 


PROVED  FROM  THE  STRATIFIED  ROCKS.        81 

tlie  earth's  surface  are  comparatively  slif,4it, — a  few  miles 
added  to  the  diy  land  in  one  place,  and  a  few  miles 
taken  from  it  in  another;  a  mountain  raised  up  in  one 
country,  and  a  plain  sunk  in  another ;  but  the  general 
outlines  of  the  earth  have  not  been  much  altered.  The 
same  ocean,  without  much  perceptible  difference,  has  flowed 
between  France  and  Britain  since  the  days  of  the  Romans ; 
the  same  rivers  have  drained  our  country;  and  the  same 
mountains  have  reared  their  summits.  In  one  view  these 
changes  are  great,  when  we  consider  them  as  continually 
carried  on  throughout  the  earth  ;  but  in  another  view  they 
are  insignificant,  when  we  compare  them  with  the  vast 
thickness  of  the  stratified  rocks,  and  the  gigantic  changes 
which  have  taken  place  during  past  geological  eras. 

Supposing,  then,  that  during  the  last  six  thousand  years, 
on  an  average,  one  hvmdred  feet  of  matter  in  thickness 
has  been  deposited,  and  this  is  a  most  lilieral  allowance, 
we  have  next  to  inquire,  'WHiat  proportion  does  this  bear 
to  the  tliickness  of  the  stratified  rocks?  Now  this  thick- 
ness, wliich  may  be  accurately  calculated,  owing  to  the 
regular  series  of  succession  of  these  rocks,  and  the  inclined 
positions  in  which  they  lie,  has  been  estimated  to  be  no 
less  than  ten  miles ;  or,  if  we  take  the  fossiliferous  rocks 
only  into  consideration,  more  than  seven  miles ;  so  that,  in 
round  numbers,  not  much  more  than  a  four-hundredth 
part  of  these  fossiliferous  rocks  has  been  accumulated  dur- 
ing the  last  six  thousand  years,  and  this  would  give  us  the 
age  of  the  world  to  be  greatly  more  than  two  millions  of 
years.*     But  this  woidd  be  a  very  erroneous  estimate  of 

*  Supposing  that  a  hundred  feet  of  matter  were  deposited  during  the 
last  six  thousand  years,  then  taking  tlie  fossiliferous  rocks,  which  are 
seven  miles  in  thickness,  only  into  consideration,  it  would  take  2,217,600 
years  for  their  dejiosition;  but  if  we  take  into  consideration  the  whole  of 


32  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EARTH. 

the  time  required  for  the  deposition  of  these  rocks,  for  we 
must  not  only  consider  their  tliickness,  hut  also  the  changes 
which  have  taken  place  as  to  the  mode  of  their  deposition. 
The  rocks  are  not  all  of  the  same  kind,  but  of  a  very  great 
variety,  thus  proving  a  similar  variety  in  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  were  formed.  There  is  a  long  series  of 
stratified  rocks,  one  succeeding  another  in  regular  succes- 
sion, and  each  member  of  the  series  has  been  formed  under 
circumstances,  as  to  the  amount  of  dry  land  and  sea,  and 
as  to  the  mode  of  deposition,  entirely  different  from  any 
which  precedes  or  follows  it.  Indeed,  all  means  of  calcu- 
lation as  to  the  probable  age  of  these  rocks  entirely  fails 
us,  and  we  are  only  enabled  to  say  that  it  must  have  been 
immense.  A  learned  geologist,  for  example,  has  calculated, 
from  the  rate  of  deposition  at  present  going  on,  that  it 
would  require  six  hundred  thousand  years  for  the  produc- 
tion of  a  single  series  of  the  old  red  sandstone  formation.* 
And  yet  what  is  this  compared  with  the  entire  mass  of 
the  strata?  The  mind  is  exhausted  in  its  endeavours  to 
comprehend  a  duration  so  immense. 

It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  the  stratified  rocks  have 
been  formed  from  other  rocks.  The  mud,  sand,  or  gravel 
of  which  they  are  composed  once  existed  as  parts  of  pre- 
viously existing  rocks,  just  in  the  same  manner  as  our 
present  sand  and  mud  consist  of  the  fragments  of  our 
rocks,  worn  down  by  water   and   atmospheric  agencies. 

the  stratified  rocks,  which  are  ten  miles  in  thickness,  this  woukl  give 
us  a  period  of  3,168,000  years. 

*  M'Culloch's  ^''  System  of  Geology"  vol.  i.,  pp.  506,  507.  The  thick- 
ness of  the  strata,  in  Dr.  M'Culloch's  example,  is  more  than  three  thou- 
sand feet.  A  lake,  he  observes,  does  not  shoal  at  the  rate  of  half-a-foot 
a-century ;  and  therefore,  taking  half-a-foot  as  an  average,  this  will  give 
us  exactly  six  hundred  thousand  years  for  the  production  of  this  series  of 
the  old  red  sandstone. 


FALLS  OF  NIAGAKA.  33 

This  is  true  of  all  the  stratified  rocks,  but  it  is  more  clearly 
seen  in  the  structure  of  a  particular  kind  of  sandstone, 
termed  the  conglomerate.  These  conglomerates  are  com- 
posed of  a  mass  of  distinct  stones  cemented  together. 
These  stones,  then,  must  have  existed  before  the  conglo- 
merate was  formed.  But  not  only  so,  these  small  stones 
are  rounded,  thus  proving  that  they  have  been  acted  upon 
by  water,  that,  in  short,  a  conglomerate  is  only  a  beach 
consolidated  into  rock.  And  further,  these  stones  must 
have  been  broken  off  from  parent  rocks.  Thus,  then,  we 
have  a  series  of  changes:  first  the  parent  rocks,  from 
which  the  small  stones  were  taken,  were  formed — then 
these  stones  were  broken  from  them,  and  rolled  about  the 
sea  for  ages,  until  they  were  rounded — then  they  settled 
down  in  the  ocean  bed — then,  by  pressure  or  some 
cementing  process,  they  were  consolidated  into  hard  rock 
— and  after  that,  they  were  raised  from  the  bed  of  the 
ocean,  and  now  constitute  a  part  of  the  dry  land. 

But  perhaps  an  example  of  an  actual  measurement  of 
time,  which  has  been  most  carefully  made,  will  represent 
more  vividly  the  immense  antiquity  of  the  earth.  The 
example  to  which  we  allude  is  the  time  taken  by  the 
river  Niagara  to  excavate  the  ravine  through  which  it 
flows,  and  which  has  been  so  carefully  calculated  by  Sir 
Charles  Lyell.  Below  the  falls,  the  Niagara  flows  along  a 
deep  ravine,  with  high  precipices  on  both  sides,  for  seven 
miles,  until  it  reaches  the  town  of  Queenstown,  where  the 
level  of  the  country  is  suddenly  lowered.  Now  geologists 
have  proved  that  the  falls  were  once  at  Queenstown,  and  that 
the  river  has  since  excavated  its  bed  between  that  and  the 
present  position  of  the  falls.  The  present  rate  of  excava- 
tion is  estimated  to  be,  at  an  average,  one  foot  a  year,  so  that, 
if  this  rate  had  been  uniform,  it  would  have  taken  more 


34  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EAETH 

tlian  thirty-five  tliousaud  years  for  the  retreat  of  the  falls 
from  QueenstoM'n.  And  although  this  could  not  have 
been  the  case,  although  the  rate  of  excavation  must  have 
been  sometimes  slower  and  sometimes  faster,  yet  it  has 
been  estimated  that  the  average  of  one  foot  a  year  would 
be  no  exaggeration  of  the  truth.  And  yet  this  immense 
period  of  thirty-five  thousand  years  is  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  age  of  the  world ;  it  does  not  extend  beyond  the 
newest  formation,  the  uppermost  tertiary,  when  the  ter- 
restrial shells  were  the  same,  or  nearly  the  same,  as  those 
now  living*  We  must  add  to  it  all  those  numerous  for- 
mations which  preceded  it,  and  we  will  obtain  a  period, 
compared  with  which  the  time  taken  for  the  recession  of 
the  Niagara  is  but  a  day.  "  If  such  events,"  observes  Sir 
C.  Lyell,  "  can  take  place,  while  the  zoology  of  the  earth 
remains  almost  stationary  and  unaltered,  what  ages  may 
not  be  comprehended  in  those  successive  tertiary  periods 
during  which  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the  globe  have  been 
almost  entirely  changed  ?  Yet  how  subordinate  a  place  in 
the  long  calendar  of  geological  chronology  do  the  succes- 
sive tertiary  periods  themselves  occupy.  How  much  more 
enormous  a  duration  must  we  assign  to  many  antecedent 
revolutions  of  the  earth  and  its  inliabitants.  No  analogy 
can  be  found  in  the  natural  world  to  the  immense  scale 
of  these   divisions  of  past  time,  unless  we  contemplate 

•  This  has  been  proved  by  the  discovery  of  existing  forms  of  shells 
about  four  miles  below  the  falls,  and  nearly  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
bottom  of  the  present  gorge.  "The  identity  of  the  fossil  species,"  observes 
Sir  C.  Lyell,  "  with  the  recent  is  unquestionable,  and  these  fresh  water 
deposits  occur  at  the  edge  of  the  cliifs  bounding  the  ravine,  so  that  they 
prove  the  former  extension  of  an  elevated  shallow  valley,  four  miles 
below  the  falls,  a  distinct  prolongation  of  that  now  occupied  by  the 
Niagara,  in  the  elevated  region  intervening  between  Lake  Erie  and  the 
falls." — Ltell's  ^^  Principles,"  p.  218,  ninth  edition. 


PEOVED  FROM  FOSSIL  REMAINS.  35 

the  celestial  spaces  which   have   been  measured  by  the 
astronomer."* 

2.  But  secondly,  perhaps  a  more  striking  proof  of  the 
antiquity  of  the  earth  is  derived /ry7>i  the  fossil  or  organic 
remains  which  are  found  in  the  stratified  rocks. 

In  these  rocks  there  are  found  embedded  the  remains  of 
plants  and  animals,  which  in  past  geological  ages  existed 
upon  this  earth.  Upwards  of  thirty  thousand  different 
species  have  been  found  in  the  rocky  strata,  and  only  a 
very  few  of  these  are  the  same  as  the  present  creation. 
By  far  the  greater  number  are  of  an  entirely  different 
order  from  any  which  now  exist :  they  are  the  relics  of 
past  creations  which  have  long  since  disappeared.  And 
it  is  to  be  observed,  that  these  creations  follow  one  another 
in  a  regular  series.  The  fossil  remains  are  not  distributed 
throughout  the  strata  at  random,  but  in  a  regular  order; 
each  formation  has  its  o^^•n  peculiar  organic  remains,— a 
creation  belonging  only  to  itself;  thus  demonstrating  that 
one  creation  after  another  has  occupied  the  surface  of  the 
earth :  not  merely  has  the  individual  died,  but  the  entire 
species  has  become  extinct.  Now,  however  short  the  life 
of  the  individual  may  be,  it  is  very  different  with  that  of 
the  species.  The  age  of  the  individual  may  be  reckoned 
by  years  or  by  days,  but  that  of  the  species  can  only  be 
counted  by  thousands  of  years.  Since  the  present  race  of 
animals  and  plants  were  created,  only  two  or  three  species 
are  known  to  have  become  extinct,t  during  the  last  six 

*  Lyell's  "  Travels  in  South  America,"  vol.  1,  chap.  ii.  The  subject 
is  also  treated  at  considerable  length  in  his  "Principles,"  pp.  214-218, 
ninth  edition.  To  these  the  reader  is  referred  for  information  on  this, 
perhaps,  the  most  accurate  measurement  of  geological  time  which  ha? 
been  made.  It  is  impossible  to  condense  in  a  few  paragraphs  his  rea- 
sonings, as  his  own  style  is  at  once  so  perspicuous  and  concise. 

t  The  Dodo  of  the  Mauritius  and  the  Moa  of  New  Zealand,  arc  well 
known  instances  of  species  which  have  become  extinct. 


36  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EAKTH 

thousand  years:  but  the  rocky  strata  have  disclosed  to 
us  nearly  thirty  thousand  species  which  have  perished, 
and  not  only  so,  but  one  succession  after  another  of  differ- 
ent creations.  Even  the  difference  of  a  very  few  feet  of 
stratified  rocks  exhibits  a  change  in  the  forms  of  animal 
life ;  some  of  the  former  species  have  died  away  and  new 
species  have  been  introduced;  thus  exhibiting  a  change 
greater  than  has  been  effected  during  the  last  six  thousand 
years. 

And,  further  still,  there  is  abundant  evidence  from  the 
fossil  remains  and  the  nature  of  the  strata,  that  there  must 
have  been  frequent  alternations  of  sea  and  land.  A  for- 
mation containing  fossils  of  marine  origin  is  often  suc- 
ceeded by  one  containing  only  the  remains  of  land  animals 
and  plants.  Thus,  for  example,  there  is  a  particular  for- 
mation, situated  in  the  south-east  of  England,  termed  the 
Wealden.  It  has  been  proved,  from  the  nature  of  its  fos- 
sils, to  be  a  fresh  water  formation ;  perhaps  formed  by  the 
deposition  of  earthy  materials  at  the  mouth  of  some 
immense  river,  or  by  the  filling  up  of  some  gigantic  lake. 
But  both  above  and  below  it  are  marine  formations,  as  is 
distinctly  proved  from  the  fossils  which  they  contain. 
Thus,  then,  there  is  here  a  series  of  alternations  of  sea  and 
land:  first  there  is  a  sea,  then  the  bed  of  the  sea  becomes 
dry  land  during  the  deposition  of  the  Wealden,  afterwards 
the  land  is  depressed  and  again  converted  into  sea,  and 
lastly  it  is  elevated  a  second  time,  and  is  converted  into 
the  land  which  now  exists.  Similar  alternations  of  sea 
and  land  are  clearly  discernible  in  the  other  formations. 
Thus,  during  the  deposition  of  the  tertiary  or  newest  system, 
it  has  been  proved  that  large  portions  of  the  earth  have  thus 
changed  several  times.  In  short,  it  has  been  demonstrated 
that  every  portion  of  the  earth's  surface,  unless  possibly 


PEOVED  FEOM  FOSSIL  EEMAINS.  37 

tlie  tops  of  some  mountains  *  has  been  frequently  sea  and 
land  alternately.  Our  present  continents  have  often  been 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  our  present  ocean  beds  have 
often  constituted  dry  land.  Now  an  immense  length  of 
time  must  have  been  occupied  in  these  alternations.  At 
present,  as  we  have  already  observed,  the  outlines  of  our 
continents  have  not  been  much  altered  during  historic 
tunes ;  some  countries  are  rising  a  few  feet  in  a  centiuy, 
and  others  are  sinking  to  the  same  degree ;  but  what  an 
enormous  period  must  elapse  before  the  dry  land  and  the 
ocean  will  have  changed  places, — a  change  which  geology 
teaches  us  has  not  once,  but  frequently  taken  place. 

Various  other  proofs  of  the  antiquity  of  the  earth  might 
have  been  given.  We  might  have  alluded  to  the  elevated 
terraces,  sea-beaches,  and  coast-lines  which  are  to  be  seen 
in  many  parts  of  our  island ;  to  the  extensive  denudations 
which  have  taken  place ;  to  the  vast  thickness  of  the  sedi- 
mentary deposits  in  the  deltas  of  some  rivers  ;-|-  to  the 
differences  of  temperature  which  this  earth  has  experienced; 
to  the  proof  which  geology  affords  of  volcanic  action  at 
very  different  periods ;  and  to  the  fractures,  faults,  contor- 
tions and  displacements  of  strata,  all  of  which  presuppose 
the  lapse  of  ages :  but  there  is  a  difficulty  in  stating  these 

*  We  insert  this  qualifying  sentence,  because  as  the  igneous  rocks 
come  from  the  interior  of  the  earth,  it  may  be  improper  to  affirm  that 
some  of  the  mountains  which  are  composed  of  them,  and  which  exhibit 
no  traces  of  stratified  rocks,  were  once  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

t  Sir  Charles  Lyell,  for  example,  calcidates  that  it  must  have  taken 
more  than  one  hundred  thousand  years  for  the  formation  of  the  delta  of 
the  Mississippi. — ^^ Principles"  pp.  272,  273,  ninth  edition.  He  adds, 
"This  period  must  be  insignificant  in  a  geological  point  of  view,  since 
the  bluffs  or  cliffs,  bounding  the  great  valley,  and  therefore  older  in  date, 
and  which  are  from  50  to  250  feet  in  perpendicular  height,  consist  in 
great  part  of  loam  containing  land,  fluviatile,  and  lacustrine  shells  of 
species  still  inhabiting  the  same  country." 


38  THEORIES  OF  THE  ANTI-GEOLOGISTS. 

proofs  in  a  popular  form,  and  besides,  those  wliicli  we  have 
already  adduced  are  perfectly  sufficient. 

It  was  supposed  at  one  time  that  the  fossil  remains  were 
caused  by  the  deluge  of  Noah ;  and  that  they,  being  found 
in  all  quarters  of  the  world,  and  at  all  heights,  from  the 
low^est  plains  to  the  summits  of  our  highest  mountains, 
were  a  proof  of  the  universality  of  the  flood.  Wlien,  how- 
ever, the  thickness  of  the  rocky  strata,  the  different  crea- 
tions, and  the  dissimilarity  between  the  fossil  remains  and 
the  creatures  presently  existing  are  taken  into  account,  it 
is  evident  that  such  a  supposition  is  most  insufficient  and 
extravagant. — Others  have  attempted  to  account  for  these 
phenomena  by  supposing  that  the  strata  were  deposited 
during  the  two  thousand  years  wdiicli  intervened  between 
the  creation  of  man  and  the  flood,  and  that  at  the  deluge 
the  land  and  the  sea  changed  places,  so  that  what  is  now 
land  was  before  that  event  the  ocean  bed.*  But  here  also 
the  cause  is  wholly  insufficient  for  the  effect.  Be  it  ob- 
served that  the  stratified  rocks  are  ten  miles  in  thickness, 
— that  not  only  one  series  of  creatures  have  passed  away 
but  a  succession  of  creations, — that  the  land  and  the  sea 
have  not  once  but  frequently  changed  places, — and  that 
there  is  a  reo-ular  order  of  stratified  rocks  and  of  different 
creations,  each  requiring  an  immense  period  for  its  dura- 
tion. Instead  of  two  thousand,  two  millions  of  years  would 
be  wholly  inadequate  to  account  for  such  changes. — An- 
other most  extravagant  supposition,  advanced  by  certain 
writers  belonging  to  the  anti-geological  school,  is,  that  the 
earth  was  created  in  its  present  position ;  so  that  although 
the  fossils  look  like  the  remains  of  organic  beings,  yet  in 
reality  they  never  had  life,  but  were  created  as  they  are  in 

*  This  is  the  theory  adopted  by  Granville  Penn  in  his  "  Comparative 
Estimrite  of  the  Mineral  and  Mosaic  Geologies." 


ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  EARTH.  39 

a  fossil  condition.  But  these  writers  should  think  of  the 
consequences  of  advancing  such  a  theory,  as  its  natural 
tendency  is  to  lead  to  downright  atheism,  by  destroying 
entirely  the  argument  derived  from  final  causes:  tliese 
fossils  exhibiting  as  plain  marks  of  design,  as  the  existing 
species. 

And  now  let  us  collect  all  these  proofs  together.  AVlien 
^^■e  consider  the  extreme  slowness  with  which  earthy 
materials  are  deposited,  a  few  inches  at  an  average  only 
during  a  century,  and  compare  this  with  the  innnense 
thickness  of  the  rocky  strata  extending  downwards  to  a 
depth  of  ten  miles ;  when  we  consider  the  manifold  changes 
of  these  strata,  that  beds  of  shale,  sandstone,  and  limestone 
are  constantly  succeeding  one  another,  proving  an  entire 
alteration  of  the  circumstances  luider  which  thoy  were 
deposited;  when  we  consider  the  fossil  remains,  their 
immense  number  amounting  to  nearly  thirty  thousand 
extinct  species,  and  their  regular  succession  not  found  at 
random,  but  as  in  a  cabinet,  one  series  of  creatures  above 
another;  when  we  consider  that  these  thousands  of  species 
have  lived,  multiplied,  and  at  length  entirely  disappeared, 
and  that  every  formation,  and  almost  every  group  in  each 
formation,  has  a  creation  peculiar  to  itself;  when  we  con- 
sider the  frequent  alternations  of  sea  and  land  which  the 
character  of  the  fossils  proves,  that  almost  every  portion 
of  the  dry  land  which  now  is  must  have  been  repeatedly 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  take  into  account  at  the  same 
time  the  extreme  slowness  with  which  land  is  now  either 
elevated  or  depressed ;  when  we  consider  all  these  things 
together,  and  numerous  other  corroborative  particulars, 
which  must  suggest  themselves  to  every  attentive  inquirer, 
we  are  constrained  to  assign  an  antiquity  to  this  earth  so 
great  that  any  present   method  of  measurement  entirely 


40  GEOLOGY  AND  ASTEONOMY. 

fails ;  and  we  are  compellecl  in  our  reasonings  to  make  an 
almost  unlimited  use  of  the  function  of  time,  and  to  assert 
that  the  past  duration  of  our  earth  would  not  be  exagger- 
ated were  we  to  assign  to  it,  not  thousands,  but  millions  of 
years.  "  Of  old  hast  thou  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth, 
and  the  heavens  are  the  works  of  thy  hands."* 

We  have  thus  traced  the  age  of  the  earth  backward  to 
the  time  when  the  first  stratified  rocks  were  deposited. 
But  did  the  world  exist  before  that  period?  and  if  so,  what 
was  its  condition?  Here  we  are  surrounded  with  mys- 
teries ;  we  pass  the  boundary  line  which  separates  what  is 
ascertained  from  what  is  only  conjectural.  But  still  the 
light  of  science  illuminates,  though  feebly,  even  this  distant 
past,  and  reveals  to  us  a  vast  series  of  ages.  It  teaches  us 
that  in  all  probability  this  world  was  once  in  a  state  of 
intense  heat, — that  it  was  a  fluid  mass, — and  that  vast 
periods  of  time  were  occupied  in  the  cooling  and  consoli- 
dation of  this  melted  matter,  before  the  stratified  rocks 
began  to  be  deposited.  But  we  do  not  insist  upon  this ; 
although  probable,  it  is  still  only  a  hypothesis;  enough 
has  been  adduced  to  make  us  adore  and  wonder.  "Great 
and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty." 

Such  is  the  grandeur  of  the  science  of  geology ;  by  it  we 
penetrate  into  the  immeasuralile  past,  and  enlarge  our  con- 
ceptions of  the  government  of  God.  Astronomy  unfolds 
to  us  worlds  innumerable  as  subject  to  His  sway.     It  dis- 

*  "  Those  observers  and  philosophers  who  have  spent  their  lives  in 
the  study  of  geology,  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  there  exists 
irresistible  evidence,  that  the  date  of  the  earth's  first  formation  is  far 
anterior  to  the  epoch  supposed  to  be  assigned  to  it  by  Moses;  and  it  is 
now  admitted  by  all  competent  persons,  that  the  formation  even  of  those 
strata  which  are  nearest  the  surface  must  have  occupied  vast  periods, — 
probably  millions  of  years, — in  arriving  at  their  present  state." — Bab- 
bage's  Ninth  "  Bridf/eivater  Treatise,"  page  78. 


GEOLOGY  AND  ASTRONOMY.  41 

plays  to  us  suns  upon  suns,  systems  upon  systems,  fir- 
maments upon  firmaments.  It  teaches  us  that,  compared 
with  the  extent  of  creation,  this  world  is  but  a  point,  a 
grain  of  sand,  an  atom  of  the  works  of  the  Most  High. 
But  whilst  by  astronomy  we  penetrate  into  space,  by  geo- 
logy we  penetrate  into  time ;  the  one  displays  to  us  the 
empire  of  God  as  consisting  in  unnumbered  universes,  the 
other  reveals  that  same  empire  as  having  existed  for  cycles 
of  ages ;  by  the  one  we  are  taught  that  this  world  is  but  a 
point,  by  the  other  we  learn  that  its  past  duration  since 
man  was  created  is  but  a  moment.  "  Geology,"  says  Pro- 
fessor Hitchcock,  "  carries  us  as  far  back  into  the  arcana 
of  time  as  astronomy  does  into  the  arcana  of  space.  Neither 
the  distance  in  the  one  case,  nor  the  duration  in  the  other, 
can  be  estimated.  But  there  is  a  sublime  inspiration  in 
the  effort  to  grasp  the  subject;  and  I  see  not  why  there  is 
not  as  much  grandeur  and  high  gratification  in  the  idea  of 
vast  duration  as  of  vast  expansion.  And  I  see  not  why 
we  do  not  gain  as  much  enlargement  of  our  conceptions  of 
the  plans  of  Jehovah  respecting  the  universe  in  the  one 
case  as  in  the  other."* 

But  the  connection  between  these  two  sciences  is  still 
more  intimate.  Astronomy,  in  its  marvellous  disclosures, 
has  confirmed  the  declaration  of  geology  regarding  the 
antiquity  of  the  universe.  The  power  of  the  telescope  has 
not  only  disclosed  to  us  innumerable  systems  invisible  to 
our  bodily  eyes,  it  has  also  revealed  to  us  their  immense 
distances,  and,  as  an  inference  from  this,  their  vast  antiquity. 
Light,  it  has  been  estimated,  travels  at  the  rate  of  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  thousand  miles  a  second ;  it  takes  about 
ten  years  to  come  from  one  of  the  nearest  of  the  fixed  stars ; 


Hitchcock's  "  Relic/ion  of  Geology"  p.  370. 
C 


42  GEOLOGY  AND  ASTEONOMY. 

but,  as  Sir  William  Herschell  has  calculated,  from  one  of 
the  stars  of  the  remote  nebulae  it  would  take  two  millions 
of  years  to  reach  the  earth.  Thus,  then,  these  lights  are 
seen  by  us  through  the  telescope,  not  as  they  at  present  are, 
but  as  they  were  two  millions  of  years  ago ;  the  universe, 
then,  must  at  least  have  been  as  old ;  an  antiquity  is  thus 
assigned  to  it  which  human  faculties  are  altogether  unable 
to  gTasp.  The  declaration  of  geology  is  confirmed  by  the 
declaration  of  astronomy. 

"  It  has  been  truly  said,"  observes  the  great  Humboldt, 
"  that  with  our  large  and  powerful  telescopic  instruments 
we  penetrate  alike  through  the  boundaries  of  time  and 
space;  we  measure  the  former  through  the  latter,  for  in 
the  course  of  an  hour  a  ray  of  light  traverses  over  a  space 
of  five  hundred  and  ninety-two  millions  of  miles.  Wliilst, 
according  to  the  theogony  of  Hesiod,  the  dimensions  of  the 
universe  were  supposed  to  be  expressed  by  the  time  occu- 
pied by  bodies  in  falling  to  the  ground,  (the  brazen  anvil 
was  not  more  than  nine  days  and  nine  nights  in  falling 
from  heaven  to  earth,)  the  elder  Herschell  was  of  opinion 
that  light  required  almost  two  millions  of  years  to  pass  to 
the  earth  from  the  remotest  luminous  vapour  reached  by 
his  forty  feet  reflector.  Much,  therefore,  has  vanished 
long  before  it  is  rendered  visible  to  us — much  that  we  see 
was  once  differently  arranged  from  what  it  now  appears. 
The  aspect  of  the  starry  heavens  presents  us  with  the  spec- 
tacle of  that  which  is  only  apparently  simultaneous,  and 
however  much  we  may  endeavour,  by  the  aid  of  optical 
instruments,  to  bring  the  mildly  radiant  vapour  of  nebu- 
lous masses  or  the  faintly  glimmering  starry  clusters  nearer, 
and  diminish  the  thousands  of  years  interposed  between 
us  and  them,  that  serve  as  a  criterion  of  their  distance,  it 
still  remains  more  than  probable,  from  the  knowledge  we 


RECENT  OEIGIN  OF  MAN.  43 

possess  of  the  velocity  of  the  transmission  of  luminous 
rays,  that  the  light  of  remote  heavenly  bodies  presents  us 
Mdth  the  most  ancient  perceptible  evidence  of  the  exist- 
ence of  matter.  It  is  thus  that  the  reflective  mind  of  man 
is  led  from  simple  premises  to  rise  to  those  exalted  heights 
of  nature  where,  in  the  light-illummed  realms  of  space, 
'  rayiiads  of  worlds  are  bursting  into  life,  like  the  grass  of 
the  night.'"* 

II.   THE  EECENT  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 

But  whilst  geology  demonstrates  the  immense  antiquity 
of  the  earth,  it  no  less  positively  asserts  the  recent  origin 
of  man.  It  is  evident  that  if  man  were  as  old  as  the  fossil 
animals,  the  remains  of  him  would  also  be  found  along 
with  them  in  the  rocky  strata.  His  bones  are  as  capable 
of  preservation  as  the  bones  of  the  inferior  animals ; — the 
bones  of  the  horse  and  his  rider  are  both  found  in  equal 
preservation  in  what  was  formerly  the  field  of  battle.  Now, 
it  so  happens,  that  no  remains  of  man  have  been  found  in 
any  deposits,  until  we  arrive  at  those  which  are  evidently 
of  modern  origin.  From  the  uppermost  beds  of  the  ter- 
tiary downward  through  the  long  series  of  formations  there 
are  shells,  and  bones,  and  plants,  and  fish,  and  reptiles 
innumerable,  but  not  a  single  fossil  bone  of  man.  All 
those  human  skeletons  which  have  been  found  embedded 
in   limestone   are   demonstrably   of  very   recent  origin.-}* 

*  Humboldt's  "  Cosmos"  vol.  i.  pp.  144,  145,  Bohn's  edition. 

t  The  celebrated  Guadaloupe  fossil  skeletons  of  men  are  embedded  in 
a  limestone  which  is  known  to  be  at  present  forming.  One  of  these  skele- 
tons is  preserved  in  the  British  Mnsenm,  and  another  in  the  Royal  Cabi- 
net at  Paris.  These  skeletons  are  not,  proi)erly  speaking,  petrifactions; 
on  the  contrary,  it  has  been  ascertained  that  they  retain  all  their  ])ho.<;- 
phate  of  lime,  and  some  even  of  their  animal  matter.  "The  skeleton 
from  Gnadaloupe,"  observes  Bakewell,  ''is  described  as  having  been  foniid 


44  RECENT  OEIGIN  OF  MAN. 

But  the  proof  is  still  far  stronger,  when  we  consider  that 
if  man  had  existed,  not  only  his  organic  remains  would 
have  been  found,  but  in  still  greater  abundance  his  works 
— his  tools,  his  weapons,  his  buildings,  his  boats,  his 
houses.  Cities  have  frequently  been  overwhelmed  by 
volcanic  matter,  or  covered  by  the  gradual  deposition  of 
soil;  ships  have  been  wrecked  or  swallowed  up  by  the 
deep ;  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  have  been  dug  up  from 
under  the  lava  of  Vesuvius,  and  the  palaces  of  Nineveh 
have  recently  been  excavated :  but  not  one  work  of  art,  not 
one  tool,  not  one  vestige  of  man  has  been  found  in  any 
of  the  rocky  strata  below  the  alluvium:  thus  demonstrating 
that  man  is  one  of  the  most  recent  of  created  beings,  and 
that  all  these  various  systems  of  creation  wliich  have  passed 
away  existed  before  his  introduction  into  the  world. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  that  on  this  important  point  all 
geologists  are  agreed;  there  is  no  discordance  of  opinion 
among  them;  and  that  whilst  they  all,  with  united  voice, 
assert  the  antiquity  of  the  world,  they  likewise,  with  an 
assent  no  less  harmonious,  assert  the  recent  origin  of  man. 
It  is  only  necessary  to  quote  the  words  of  Sir  Charles  Lyell, 
perhaps  the  greatest  of  living  geologists,  "  I  need  not,"  says 
he,  "  dwell  on  the  proofs  of  the  low  antiquity  of  our  species, 
for  it  is  not  controverted  by  any  experienced  geologist; 
indeed,  the  real  difficulty  consists  in  tracing  back  the  signs 
of  man's  existence  on  the  earth  to  that  comparatively 
modern  period   when    species,   now  his   contemporaries, 

on  the  shore  below  the  high-water  mark,  among  calcareous  rocks  full  of 
madrepores,  and  not  far  from  the  volcano  called  the  Souifriere.  The  bones 
are  not  petrified,  but  preserve  the  usual  constituents  of  fresh  bone,  and 
were  rather  soft  when  first  exposed  to  the  air.  Specimens  of  the  stone 
present,  when  examined  with  a  lens,  the  appearance  of  smooth  grains, 
consisting  of  rounded  fragments  of  shells  and  coral,  aggregated  and 
united  without  any  visible  cement." — Bakewell's  "  Geology"  p.  21. 


RECENT  ORIGIN  OF  MAN.  45 

began  to  predominate.  If  there  be  a  difference  of  opinion 
respecting  tlie  occurrence,  in  certain  deposits,  of  the  remains 
of  man  and  his  works,  it  is  always  with  reference  to  strata 
confessedly  of  the  most  modern  order ;  and  it  is  never  pre- 
tended that  our  race  co-existed  with  assemblages  of  animals 
and  plants,  of  which  all  or  even  a  great  jmrt  of  the  species 
ai'e  extinct."  And  he  adds,  "No  inhabitant  of  the  land 
exposes  himself  to  so  many  dangers  on  the  watei^  as  man, 
whether  in  a  savage  or  civilized  state ;  and  there  is  no  ani- 
mal, therefore,  whose  skeleton  is  so  liable  to  become 
embedded  in  lacustrine  or  submarine  deposits ;  nor  can  it 
be  said  that  his  remains  are  more  perishable  than  those  of 
other  animals;  for  in  ancient  fields  of  battle,  as  Cuvier  has 
observed,  the  bones  of  men  have  suffered  as  little  decom- 
position as  those  of  horses  wliich  were  buried  in  the  same 
grave.  But  even  if  the  more  solid  parts  of  our  species  had 
disappeared,  the  impression  of  their  form  would  have 
remained  engTaven  on  the  rocks,  as  have  the  traces  of  the 
tenderest  leaves  of  plants,  and  the  soft  integuments  of  many 
animals.  Works  of  art,  moreover,  composed  of  the  most 
indestructible  materials,  would  have  outlasted  almost  all 
the  organic  contents  of  sedimentary  rocks.  Edifices,  and 
even  entire  cities,  have,  within  the  times  of  history,  been 
buried  under  volcanic  ejections,  submerged  beneath  the 
sea,  or  engulphed  by  earthquakes  ;  and  had  these  catas- 
trophes been  repeated  throughout  an  indefinite  lapse  of 
ages,  the  high  antiquity  of  man  would  have  been  inscribed 
in  far  more  legible  characters  on  the  framework  of  the  globe, 
than  are  the  forms  of  the  ancient  vegetation  which  once 
covered  the  islands  of  the  northern  ocean,  or  of  those 
gigantic  reptiles  which  at  still  later  periods  peopled  the 
seas   and  rivers   of  the  northern   hemisphere."*      "Tlie 

*  Lyell's  "  Principles,"  vol.  i.  pp.  245,  246,  fifth  edition. 


46  SCEIPTUKAL  ACCOUNT  OF  CEEATION. 

comparatively  modern  period  of  the  creation  of  man,"  says 
Mr.  Eicliardson,  "  is  a  fact  revealed  by  Scripture  and  con- 
firmed by  science.  The  same  internal  evidence  which  con- 
vinces us  of  the  antiquity  of  our  planet,  affords  satisfactory 
proof  of  the  modern  origin  of  our  species."  *  To  give  only 
one  other  quotation.  Dr.  Owen,  the  highest  British  autho- 
rity on  comparative  anatomy  and  palaeontology,  expresses 
liimself  as  follows : — "  Human  bones  have  been  found  in 
doubtful  positions,  geologically  considered,  such  as  deserted 
mines  and  caves,  in  the  detritus  at  the  bottom  of  cliffs,  but 
never  in  tranquil,  undisturbed  deposits,  participating  in  the 
mineral  characters  of  the  undoubted  fossils  of  these  deposits 
The  petrified  negro  skeletons,  in  the  calcareous  concretes 
of  Guadaloupe,  are  of  comparatively  recent  origin.  Thus, 
therefore,  in  reference  both  to  the  unity  of  the  human 
species,  and  to  the  fact  of  man  being  the  latest,  as  he  is 
the  highest,  of  all  animal  forms  upon  our  planet,  the  inter- 
pretation of  God's  works  coincide  with  what  has  been 
revealed  to  us  as  to  our  own  origin  and  zoological  relations 
in  liis  word." 

We  are  enabled,  by  reason  of  the  discoveries  of  geology, 
to  interpret  aright  several  passages  of  Scripture,  and  espe- 
cially the  opening  clause  of  the  sacred  records,  "  In  the 
beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth."  The 
word  creation  is  an  indefinite  term,  and  its  sense,  in  any 
instance,  can  only  be  determined  from  the  meaning  of  the 
passage  in  which  it  occurs.  Sometimes  it  means  making 
things  out  of  nothing,  and  at  other  times  forming  them  out 
of  pre-existing  materials.  Here  the  word  probably  signifies 
a  creation  out  of  nothing,  the  production  of  the  materials  of 
which  the  universe  is  composed.     The  design  of  Moses  in 

*  Richardson's  "  Geohyjj"  p.  53,  Bohn's  edition. 


SCEIPTURAL  ACCOUNT  OF  CREATION.  4-7 

this  verse,  appears  to  l)e  to  teach  that  the  universe  owed  its 
origin  to   God.     And  this  creation  of  all  things   out  of 
nothing  is  mentioned  by  St.  Paul,  with  evident  allusion  to 
this  passage,  as  one  of  the  objects  of  our  faith— as  a  matter 
of  divine  testimony.     "  Through  faith  w^e  understand  that 
the  worlds  were  framed  by  the  word  of  God,  so  that  things 
which  are  seen,  were  not  made  of  things  which  do  appear:" 
thus  teaching  us  that  "things  which  are  seen,"  that  is, 
things  which  are,  were  not  made  of  "things which  do  appear," 
that  is,  of  previously  existing  materials.    The  phrase,  "  the 
heaven  and  the  earth,"  is,  in  the  first  verse  of  Genesis,  pro- 
bably used,  according  to  the  idiom  of  the  Hebrew  language, 
to  denote  the  universe.     The  time,  when  this  creation  of 
all  things  out  of  nothing  took  place,  is  said  to  be  "  in  the 
beginning."     The  term  is  indefinite:  it  may  signify  the 
commencement  of  the  six  Mosaic  days,  but  it  may  equally 
well  be  referred  to  a  period  in  past  duration,  long  antece- 
dent to  these  days.    Now  it  is  here  that  geology  elucidates 
Scripture ;  it  teaches  us  that  the  latter  interpretation  is  the 
true  one ;  that  the  world  was  created  ages  before  it  was 
fitted  up  for  the  habitation  of   the  human  race.     And 
hence  we  are  enabled  to  interpret  the  passage — "  In  the 
beginning,  at   some  far  distant  period  in  past  duration 
unrevealed  to  us,  God  created,  formed  out  of  nothing,  the 
heaven  and  the  earth — the  universe  of  dependent  beings." 
Thus,  then,  we  are  taught  that  the  first  verse  of  the 
book   of  Genesis   is   introductory;   that    it    contains    an 
independent  proposition ;  it  is   an  assertion  of  the  origi- 
nal creation  of  the  heaven  and  the   earth   by  God;   it 
fixes  the  time  when  this  creation  took  place,  indefinitely, 
"  in  the  beginning,"  that  is  at  the  commencement  of  time. 
There  is  no  connexion  between  the  time  described  as  the 
beo-inning,  and  the  six  days  in  which  the  world  was  put 


48  SCEIPTUEAL  ACCOUNT  OF  CEEATION. 

into  its  present  form ;  for  all  that  we  know,  ages  may  have 
intervened  between  them,  and  geology  teaches  us  that  vast 
ages  actually  did  intervene.  Tliere  is  no  violence  done  to 
the  passage  in  giving  it  this  interpretation;  it  admits  of 
it,  equally  as  well  as  of  that  which  supposes  no  interval  to 
have  intervened  between  the  original  creation  and  the  six 
days ;  nay,  it  is  preferable  to  it,  for  the  passage  expressly 
speaks  of  a  previously  existing  chaos  before  the  commence- 
ment of  the  six  days'  work,  thus  suggesting  that  an  interval 
did  exist.  Scripture,  then,  is  not  opposed  to,  but  illustrated 
by,  the  declaration  of  geology  concerning  the  antiquity  of 
the  world.  "  T^Hien,"  says  Dr.  Whewell,  "  the  language  of 
Scripture,  invested  with  its  new  meaning,  has  become 
familiar  to  men,  it  is  found  that  the  ideas  which  it  calls  up 
are  quite  as  reconcilable  as  the  former  ones  were,  with  the 
most  entire  acceptance  of  the  providential  dispensation. 
And  when  this  has  been  found  to  be  the  case,  all  cultivated 
persons  look  back  with  surprise  at  the  mistake  of  those 
who  thought  that  the  essence  of  the  revelation  was  involved 
in  their  own  arbitrary  version  of  some  collateral  circum- 
stance in  the  revealed  narrative."* 

It  is  also  to  be  remarked,  that  this  interpretation  of  the 
sacred  record  was  adopted  by  many  emiuent  divines  long 
before  geology  was  ever  heard  of  It  is  not  a  new  mean- 
ing forced  upon  the  passage  by  geology ;  it  is  an  old  view 
of  the  subject  proved  to  be  correct.  In  particular,  this  was 
a  favourite  interpretation  of  the  early  fathers.  Justin 
Martyr,  Origen,  Augustin,  Ccesarius,  Basil,  Gregory  Na- 
zianzen,  and  Theodoret,  aU  taught  that  the  first  verse  of 
Genesis  describes  the  creation  of  matter  as  an  independent 
proposition,  and  that  an  indefinite  period  elapsed  between 

♦  Whewell's  '•^Philosophy  of  Science,^'  vol.  ii.  p.  146. 


GEOLOGY  CONFIEMS  SCRIPTURE.  49 

the  creation  of  the  world  and  its  present  arrangement* 
Similar  also  were  the  views  of  some  divines  in  the  Protes- 
tant church.  Thus  Bishop  Patrick,  who  wi'ote  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago,  in  his  commentary  upon  the  first 
verse  of  Genesis,  says,  "  How  long  all  things  continued  in 
mere  confusion  after  the  chaos  was  created,  before  light  was 
extracted  from  it,  we  are  not  told.  It  might  have  been,  for 
any  thing  that  is  here  revealed,  a  great  while ;  and  all  that 
time  the  mighty  Spirit  was  making  such  motions  in  it,  as 
prepared,  disposed,  and  ripened  every  part  of  it  for  such 
productions  as  were  to  appear  successively,  in  such  spaces 
of  time,  as  are  here  afterwards  mentioned  by  Moses,  who 
informs  us,  that  after  things  were  digested  and  made  ready 
(by  long  fermentation  perhaps)  to  be  wrought  into  form, 
God  produced  every  day,  for  six  days  together,  some 
creature  or  other,  till  all  was  finished,  of  which  light  was 
the  very  first." 

But  geology  not  merely  illustrates,  it  also  confirms 
Scripture.  It  teaches  us  the  important  fact  that  man  is 
the  most  recent  of  created  beings.  This  is  a  point  of  great 
importance,  and  one  which  demonstrates  the  strict  har- 
mony wliicli  there  is  between  this  science  and  revelation. 
The  recent  origin  of  man  is  one  of  the  most  satisfactorily 
proved  facts  of  geology,  and  is  therefore  a  strong  and  unan- 
swerable confirmation  of  the  sacred  record.  Thus  geology, 
although  taunted  and  attacked  by  men  who  knew  it  not, 
— although  regarded  by  divines  with  a  suspicious  eye, — 
has  proved  itself  to  be  the  handmaid  of  revelation ;  it 
brings  all  its  rich  treasures,  and  lays  them  at  the  footstool 

•  See  an  account  of  these  opinions  of  the  early  fathers  conceniing  the 
creation  of  the  world  in  Cardinal  Wiseman's  "Lectures  on  the  Connex- 
ion between  Science  and  Revealed  Relifjion"  vol.  i.  p.  297. ;  and  in  Smith's 
"  Geology  and  Scripture"  p.  164,  Bohn's  edition. 


50  GEOLOGY  CONFIEMS  SCEIPTURE. 

of  the  throne  of  the  Eternal;  and,  like  its  sister  science 
astronomy,  it  fills  the  mind  of  the  devout  worshipper  with 
feelings  of  awe,  veneration,  and  love  for  the  great  Creator. 
"And  surely,"  as  an  eminent  dignitary  of  the  Eomish 
church  eloquently  observes,  "  it  must  be  gratifying  thus  to 
see  a  science,  formerly  classed,  and  not,  perhaps,  unjustly, 
among  the  most  pernicious  to  the  faith,  once  more  become 
her  handmaid ;  to  see  her  now,  after  so  many  years  of 
wandering  from  theory  to  theory,  or  rather,  from  vision  to 
vision,  return  once  more  to  the  home  where  she  was  born, 
and  to  the  altar  at  which  she  made  her  first  simple  offer- 
ings ;  no  longer,  as  she  first  went  forth,  a  wilful,  dreamy, 
empty-handed  child,  but  with  a  matronly  dignity,  and  a 
priest-like  step,  and  a  bosom  full  of  well-earned  gifts,  to 
pile  upon  its  sacred  hearth.  For  it  was  religion  which 
gave  geology  birth,  and  to  the  sanctuary  she  hath  once 
more  returned."* 

It  is  evident  that  the  fact  of  the  vast  antiquity  of  the 
earth  should  now  be  generally  taught,  and  the  common 
erroneous  notion  that  the  world  is  only  six  thousand  years 
old  abandoned  and  discarded.  It  is  wrong  to  disturb  old 
cherished  opinions  on  religious  subjects  without  some  good 
reason ;  but  when  these  opinions  have  been  clearly  demon- 
strated to  be  erroneous,  it  is  then  full  time  to  communicate 
more  correct  views.  Now  no  fact  of  science,  not  even  the 
revolution  of  the  earth  around  the  sun,  has  been  more 
clearly  demonstrated,  than  that  this  world  is  much  older 
than  six  thousand  years ;  this  is  one  of  those  established 
facts  which  now  admit  neither  of  doubt  nor  debate;  to 
do  either  is  to  evince  a  mind  incapable  of  scientific  rea- 
soning.    And  there  now  exists  no  reason  why  this  should 

*  Wiseman's  "  Lectures,"  vol.  i.,  p.  321,  322, 


GEOLOGICAL  PEEIODS.  51 

not  be  as  generally  taught  as  the  Copernican  system  of  the 
universe.  Every  man  and  child  should  be  made  aware 
that  the  common  opinion,  that  this  world  was  created  six 
thousand  years  ago,  is  erroneous,  and  that  its  age  is  im- 
mensely greater.  Let  it  never  for  a  moment  be  allowed  or 
inferred,  that  such  a  notion  of  the  recent  creation  of  the 
world  is  taught  in  Scripture ;  on  the  contrary,  let  the  lan- 
guage of  Scripture  on  this  subject  be  properly  interpreted 
and  explained;  for  nothing  is  more  calculated  to  under- 
mine a  man's  belief  than  the  discovery  that  the  demon- 
strated facts  of  science  are  in  manifest  and  irreconcilable 
opposition  to  what  he  has  been  accustomed  to  regard  as 
the  revelation  of  Scripture. 

We  have  in  this  chapter  demonstrated  the  immense 
antiquity  of  the  world,  or  rather  we  have  proved  that  its 
age  is  incalculable — that  ages  were  occupied  in  the  forma- 
tion of  a  single  system — and  that  the  past  duration  of  the 
world  must  be  reckoned  by  millions  rather  tlian  by  thou- 
sands of  years.  The  mind  is  staggered  and  bewildered  in 
endeavouring  to  comprehend  a  duration  so  immense.  But 
it  is  because  we  contemplate  time  with  reference  to  our 
own  short  ephemeral  existence  upon  earth.  We  speak  of 
days,  and  months,  and  years.  But  these  are  feeble  terms 
when  we  would  wish  to  calculate  the  age  of  the  world : 
we  must  have  another  standard;  we  must  contemplate 
time  in  another  point  of  view.  Let  us  then  contemplate 
time  with  reference  to  God.  A  thousand  years  appear  to 
us  to  be  of  an  immense  duration,  but  in  His  sight  it  is  but 
as  yesterday  when  it  is  past,  or  as  a  watch  by  night. 
Compared  with  His  past  existence,  millions  of  years  are 
but  a  short  duration:  the  vast  antiquity  of  the  world 
itself  appears  no  longer  immense.  However  unlimited  the 
drafts  may  be  which  geology  makes  on  time,  let  us  not  be 


52  GEOLOGICAL  PERIODS. 

alarmed  or  disturbed  at  it ;  we  are  certain  that  tlie  universe 
had  a  commencement ;  that  far  distant  in  the  past  there 
was  a  beginning  when  God  created  the  heaven  and  the 
earth.  Time  with  reference  to  the  Deity  is  a  very  different 
thing  from  time  with  reference  to  us:  to  Him  these  immense 
cycles  are  not  long;  and  the  different  creations  which 
geology  discloses  are  His  creations,  and  therefore,  the 
time  occupied  by  them  must  be  contemplated,  as  it  relates 
to  God  and  not  to  ourselves.  "  One  day  is  with  the  Lord 
as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  are  as  one 
day." 

And  if  this  subject  impresses  us  with  a  profound  sense 
of  the  eternity  of  God,  it  should  also  teach  us  the  ephe- 
meral existence  of  man.  Wliat  are  the  threescore  or  the 
fourscore  years  of  man's  existence  compared  with  the  past 
duration  of  the  world?  AVhat  is  the  antiquity  of  those 
mighty  empires  that  once  ruled  over  the  destinies  of  men? 
What  the  age  of  those  pyramids  of  Egypt,  whose  origin  is 
lost  in  darkness?  What  the  past  duration  of  the  human 
race  itself,  the  six  thousand  years  since  Adam  was  created? 
It  is  but  as  yesterday — but  a  moment  of  time  compared 
with  the  ages  that  are  past.  The  duration  of  man  is  not 
in  the  past  but  in  the  future.  His  past  existence  is  but  as 
the  lightning's  flash,  which  appears  only  to  vanish ;  but 
his  future  existence  is  unlimited — it  is  an  eternity — a 
period  inconceivably  longer  than  even  the  immense  dura- 
tion of  the  world.  This  future  eternity  is  the  destiny  of 
all  of  us,  a  solemn  and  awful  thought,  which  should  excite 
us  to  increased  diligence  in  cultivating  a  meetness  for  the 
heavenly  world,  so  that  by  securing  an  interest  in  a  better 
righteousness  than  our  own,  we  may  be  found  without 
spot  and  blameless  at  the  appearance  of  Jesus  Christ. 


CHAPTEE   III. 

StrCCESSIVE  CREATIONS  OF  SPECIES. 

In  this  chapter  we  propose  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  the 
successive  creations  of  species,  to  direct  attention  to  that 
remarkable  series  of  different  creations  which  the  fossili- 
ferous  rocks  disclose,  and  to  exhibit  the  bearing  wliich 
these  examples  of  creation  have  npon  several  important 
points,  both  of  natiu-al  and  revealed  religion.  We  are 
admitted,  as  it  were,  to  inspect  a  system  of  creations,  to 
mark  the  work  of  the  Lord  in  calling  new  creatures  into 
being,  to  discern  the  direct  exertion  of  His  almighty  power, 
and  to  see  in  aU  this  the  manifest  proofs  of  His  divine 
existence  and  over-ruling  Providence. 

Geologists,  as  we  have  observed  in  a  previous  chapter, 
have  demonstrated  that  in  the  fossiliferous  rocks  there  is 
a  series  of  different  creations.  The  fossil  organic  remains 
are  not  found  among  the  rocks  in  a  confused  state,  mingled 
together  without  order,  but  are  regidarly  arranged  as  in 
shelves ;  so  that  when  we  pass  from  one  geological  forma- 
tion to  another,  we  at  the  same  time  pass  from  one  system 
of  creation  to  another.  These  systems  are  distinct  from 
each  other.  A  few  fossils  of  one  formation  may  have 
penetrated  into  the  formation  which  succeeds  it,  but  still  it 
is  one  of  the  best  ascertained  facts  of  geology  that  each 
formation  has  its  own  set  of  fossils.*     The  organic  remains 

*  "  The  mountain  limestone  of  the  north  of  England,"  observes  Pro- 
fessor Phillips,  "  contains  about  five  hundred  species  of  animal  remains : 


54  SUCCESSION  OF  SPECIES. 

of  the  old  red  sandstone  are  very  different  from  those  of 
the  carboniferous  formation  which  immediately  succeeds 
it.  And  not  only  is  this  true  of  the  different  formations, 
but,  as  many  distinguished  geologists  affirm,  even  of  the 
groups  into  which  each  formation  is  divided.  "  It  is  now 
a  truth,"  observes  Agassiz,  "  which  I  consider  as  proved, 
that  the  ensemble  of  organised  beings  was  renewed,  not  only 
in  the  interval  of  each  of  the  great  geological  divisions 
which  we  have  agreed  to  term  formations,  but  also  at  the 
time  of  the  deposition  of  each  particidar  member  of  all  the 
formations."  So  entire  has  been  the  change,  so  distinct 
are  these  formations,  that,  with  the  exception  of  some 
microscopic  insects,  not  one  of  the  existing  species  of  plants 
and  animals  has  been  discovered  in  the  chalk,  although 
that  is  a  formation  comparatively  recent,  and  separated  only 
from  the  present  by  the  tertiary.*  All  the  existing  beasts, 
and  bu'ds,  and  fishes,  along  with  man  himself,  were  intro- 
duced at  a  period  which,  according  to  the  annals  of  geology, 
is  only  as  yesterday.f  Not  a  vestige  of  them  is  to  be  found 
in  any  of  the  rocks,  except  in  the  uppermost  beds.  Thus 
the  world  has  changed  its  inhabitants  over  and  over  again ; 

the  lias  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and  the  chalk  fifty.  Now  of  all  the 
six  hundred  and  seventy  species  contained  in  the  mountain  limestone, 
lias,  and  chalk,  respectively,  there  is  not  one  which  is  found  in  two  of 
tliese  rocks.  Neither  of  these  strata  contains  a  single  fossil  which  is 
found  in  either  of  the  others.  Between  the  era  of  the  formation  of  the 
mountain  limestone,  and  that  of  the  lias,  the  whole  animal  population  of 
the  sea  had  been  entirely  changed,  and  a  similar  complete  renewal  took 
place  before  the  chalk  was  deposited."— Phillip's  "  Geologij"  p.  67,  68. 

*  These  microscopic  insects  have  been  discovered  by  Professor 
Ehrenberg. 

t  "  Every  plant  and  animal  that  now  lives  upon  earth  began  to  be 
during  the  great  tertiary  period,  and  had  no  place  among  the  animals  and 
plants  of  the  great  secondary  division." — Miller's  "  Testimony  of  the 
Rocks"  p.  195. 


SUCCESSION  OF  SPECIES.  55 

the  species  has  died  as  well  as  the  individual ;  one  gi'oup 
of  plants  and  animals  has  passed  away,  and  has  been  suc- 
ceeded by  another,  and  this  again  has  yielded  to  a  third ; 
and  so,  during  the  incalculable  ages  of  a  past  duration,  one 
creation  has  followed  another,  until  at  length  man  and  the 
present  race  of  plants  and  animals  were  called  into  being. 

It  would  be  foreign  to  our  object  to  enter  into  any 
minute  description  of  the  different  systems  of  creation 
wliich  have  successively  occupied  this  world;  all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  give  a  list  of  them  in  their  order.  The 
lowest  fossiliferous  formation  is  what  has  been  termed  the 
Silurian  system.  The  fossils  found  in  it  are  chiefly  shells, 
and  a  peculiar  animal  termed  the  trilobite,  of  an  extinct 
genus,  but  of  the  same  order  as  the  crab  and  lobster.  The 
system  also  contains  fossil  fish  of  so  distinct  a  nature,  that 
almost  the  entire  class  has  passed  away.  Next  follows 
what  has  been  termed  the  Old  Eed  Sandstone  or  Devonian 
system  The  fossils  of  this  formation  are  chiefly  fish  of 
extraordinary  forms,  and  often  of  gigantic  size ;  some  armed 
with  strong  plates  of  bone  to  resist  the  attacks  of  foes, 
some  furnished  with  weapons  of  offence  and  attack,  and 
some  with  a  pair  of  fins  spread  out  lilce  wings.  To  this 
succeeds  the  Carboniferous  formation.  Here  the  scene  of 
creation  is  changed:  we  quit  the  sea  for  the  dry  land. 
Plants  now  abound.  Trees  of  a  peculiar  form,  gigantic 
ferns,  and  reeds,  and  mosses  now  grow  upon  the  earth. 
There  is  a  vegetation  far  more  abundant  than  the  world 
has  ever  since  seen.  Almost  all  the  coal  which  we  con- 
sume belongs  to  this  formation,  and  once  constituted  the 
trees  and  forests  of  the  world  that  then  was.  Next  suc- 
ceeds what  formerly  was  termed  the  New  Eed  Sandstone.* 

*  The  New  Red  Sandstone  system  has  been  divided  by  geologists,  on 
account  of  the  remarkable  differences  of  the  fossils,  into  two  distinct 


56  SUCCESSION  OF  SPECIES. 

This  is  a  system,  at  least  in  our  country,  comparatively 
barren  of  fossils.  Fish  are  its  chief  characteristics ;  there 
are  also  a  few  forms  of  reptile  life,  and  the  footprints  of 
gigantic  birds,  larger  than  any  wliich  now  exist,  are  found 
impressed  upon  the  rocks.  After  this  succeeds  the  Oolita 
This  is  what  has  been  appropriately  termed  the  age  of 
reptiles.  Eeptiles  of  a  gigantic  size,  far  exceeding  the 
crocodile  of  the  Nile,  and  of  a  strange  shape,  rivalling  the 
fabulous  monsters  of  antiquity,  abound.  One  of  them, 
the  ichthyosaurus,  a  monster  thirty  feet  in  length,  with 
immense  jaws,  like  those  of  a  crocodile,  and  conical  teeth 
of  large  size,  which  prove  that  the  animal  was  fierce  and 
voracious ;  another,  the  plesiosaurus,  a  creature  of  similar 
lengtli,  but  with  an  enormous  neck,  far  longer  than  that 
of  a  swan ;  and  a  third,  the  pterodactyle,  a  flying  reptile, 
furnished  with  wings.  Here  also  mammalia  appear  for 
the  first  time,  in  the  form  of  small  marsupial  and  insecti- 
vorous animals.*  The  Chalk  or  Cretaceous  system  fol- 
lows— a  formation  which  has  been  chiefly  formed  in  deep 
waters,  and  consequently  contains  shells  and  the  remains 
of  fish,  but  all  of  them  of  so  peculiar  a  nature  that  it 
is  doubtful  if  a  single  species  survives.  After  this,  comes 
the  Tertiary  formation:  this  is  the  age  of  mammalia. 
There  are  discovered  the  remains  of  beasts,  which  in 
size  far  exceeded  the  elephant;  one  of  them,  the  mega- 
formations,  the  Permian  and  the  Triassic.  At  this  point  the  forms  of 
organic  life  appear  to  have  undergone  an  entire  change:  the  Pennian 
constituting  the  close  of  the  Palajozoic,  and  the  Triassic  the  commencement 
of  the  Secondary  or  Mesozoic  period. 

*  The  marsupial  animals  have  heen  discovered  in  the  Stonesfield  slate 
belonging  to  the  great  oolite  group;  and  the  insectivorous  mammals 
have  been  very  recently  discovered  in  the  Purbeck  limestone,  a  fresh- 
water bed,  classed  by  Lyell  in  the  upper  oolite,  and  by  other  geologists 
in  the  Wealden. 


THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS.  57 

theriiim,  an  animal  similar  to  the  sloth,  but  of  the  most 
enormous  proportions;  and  another,  the  deinotherium, 
resembling  the  hippopotamus,  but  furnished  with  two  large 
tusks  like  a  pickaxe,  appended  to  the  lower  jaw,  and 
curved  downwards,  to  enable  it  to  dig  up  the  roots  of 
plants  on  which  it  subsisted.  Several  species  of  the  Ter- 
tiary formation  survive,  but  the  greater  number  have 
become  extinct.  To  it  succeeds  the  present  formation — 
that  race  or  creation  of  animals  and  plants  which  now 
occupies  the  earth.* 

But  it  is  the  bearing  which  these  examples  of  different 
creations  have  upon  several  important  questions  of  natural 
and  revealed  religion,  that  we  propose  chiefly  to  consider. 
Now,  two  views  or  theories  have  been  taken  of  this  sub- 
ject: the  one  is,  that  these  systems  of  creation  have  devel- 
oped themselves  from  each  other,  and  this  theory  is  usually 
known  in  this  country  by  the  name  of  the  development 
hi/2)othesis :  and  the  other  is,  that  they  are  the  result  of  a 
series  of  immediate  interpositions  by  the  divine  Creator — 
the  theory  of  creation  hy  divine  interposition. 

I.  In  the  first  place,  then,  we  advert  to  the  development 
hypothesis. 

This  theory  is  of  ancient  date,  being  very  similar  to  the 
philosophy  of  Democritus  and  other  heathen  sages.  Lam- 
arck in  France  formed  it  into  a  system,  and  it  has  recently 
been  revived  and  popularised  by  an  anonymous  writer  in 
our  own  country,  f     According  to  this  theory,  the  germs 

*  These  are  the  more  important  divisions  into  which  geologists  have 
divided  the  fossiliferous  rocks,  but  there  have  clearly  in  each  of  these 
systems  or  formations  been  several  creations. 

t  Although  the  "  Vestiges  of  Creation"  is  well  written,  contains  some 
ingenious  speculation,  and  had  at  one  time  no  little  notoriety,  it  was 
never  considered  by  any  competent  authority  as  of  the  smallest  scientific 

D 


58  THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS: 

of  all  existence  consist  in  minute  and  often  invisible  par- 
ticles termed  "monads."  How  life  has  been  bestowed 
upon  these  germs,  the  advocates  of  this  hypothesis  are  not 
agreed;  some  suppose  that  this  has  been  effected  by  gal- 
vanic agency,  and  others  that  there  is  a  living  principle  in 
nature.  These  monads  or  germs  gradually  develop  them- 
selves into  a  higher  life;  they  receive  additions  of  new 
particles ;  they  develop  new  powers ;  these  powers  develop 
new  organs;  and  thus,  throughout  the  past  geological 
ages,  they  have  been  advancing  from  a  lower  state  of 
development  to  a  higher,  from  molluscs  to  fish,  from  fish 
to  reptiles,  and  from  reptiles  to  mammals,  until  at  length 
they  have  reached  the  present  race  of  creatures ;  so  that 
man  himself  owes  his  origin  to  one  of  these  germs,  and  has 
passed  through  the  various  successive  stages  of  existence, 
until  he  has  reached  the  most  elevated  rank  in  the  scale 
of  being. 

Farther,  according  to  this  theory,  the  habits  and  incli- 
nations of  animals  are  not  adapted  by  the  divine  Being  to 
their  peculiar  bodily  organs ;  but  these  organs  have  been 
developed  or  formed  by  previously  existing  habits  and 
inclinations.  Thus,  for  example,  a  propensity  for  swim- 
ming has  developed  the  fins  of  a  fish,  a  propensity  for  fly- 
ing has  developed  the  wings  of  a  bird,  and  a  propensity  for 
walking  has  developed  the  feet  and  legs  of  quadrupeds. 
The  long  neck  of  the  cameleopard  has  been  formed  by  its 

value.  Its  author's  scientific  information  was  evidently  of  the  most 
meagre,  superficial  and  inaccurate  description.  Indeed,  some  apology 
may  be  needed  for  alluding  to  a  work  which  may  now  be  considered  as 
happily  consigned  to  a  well  deserved  oblivion,  and  for  noticing  an  hypo- 
thesis, already  fully  and  finally  disproved;  but  it  seemed  impossible  to 
treat  of  the  succession  of  species  without  adverting  to  this  hypothesis, 
and,  considering  its  former  popularity  and  its  pernicious  tendency,  with- 
out off'ering  a  refutation  of  it. 


ITS  INFIDEL  TENDENCY.  oD 

attempts  to  reach  the  branches  of  trees  on  which  it  fed; 
the  webbed  feet  of  the  duck  is  the  result  of  its  repeatedly 
stretching  out  its  toes  when  swimming ;  and  the  teeth  and 
stomach  of  beasts  of  prey  have  been  developed  in  the 
course  of  many  generations  in  consequence  of  the  animal 
food  on  which  they  subsist.  In  short,  all  animals  have 
their  present  forms  and  organs,  not  because  they  were  ori- 
ginally created  so  by  God,  but  from  the  force  of  external 
circumstances  which  has  given  rise  to  their  different  forms 
and  developed  their  peculiar  bodily  organs.* 

Although,  at  first  sight,  we  may  suspect  this  theory  of 
positive  atheism,  inasmuch  as  it  removes  God  entirely 
from  the  creation  and  substitutes  a  certain  blind  instinct 
termed  law ;  and  although  the  former  assertors  of  this  sys- 
tem openly  avowed  their  disbelief  in  a  personal  Deity ;  yet 
the  modern  advocates  of  the  development  theory  escape 
the  inference  so  apparently  deducible  by  asserting,  that 
this  principle  of  development  in  nature — this  tendency  to 
rise  from  a  lower  to  a  liigher  state  owes  its  origin  to.  God  •. 
that  when  God  created  matter  at  first,  he  endowed  it  with 
this  plastic  nature. 

But  although  it  thus  escapes  the  charge  of  atheism  or 
the  denial  of  a  Supreme  Being,  it  is  of  such  an  infidel  ten- 
dency, as  to  render  the  acknowledgment  of  God  of  no 
value.  It  removes  the  divine  Being  so  entirely  from  His 
works,  and  so  dispenses  with  His  agency,  as  virtually  to 
dethrone  Him,  and  to  substitute  in  His  place  the  god  of 
Epicurus.  It  is  founded  on  gross  materialism,  and  takes 
no  cognizance  of  the  mental  or  moral  nature  of  man.  It  is 
directly  at  variance  with  tlie  doctrine  of  immortality. 
Man,  according  to  this  theory,  is  derived  from  one  of  the 

*  Lam.\RCk's  "  Theory  of  the  Transmutation  of  Species." 


60  THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS: 

inferior  animals  by  a  process  of  gradual  development. 
Hence  then  it  follows,  either  that  man,  like  the  inferior 
animals,  is  mortal,  or  that  the  addition  of  a  few  atoms  con- 
fers immortality  on  a  creature  which  before  did  not  possess 
it.  The  immense  difference  between  man  and  the  inferior 
animals,  which  the  doctrine  of  immortality  supposes,  is  by 
this  theory  denied.  But  especially  is  this  notion  in  direct 
variance  with  the  Christian  religion.  It  not  only  flatly 
contradicts  all  those  passages  which  speak  of  creation  as 
the  direct  work  of  God,  but  is  opposed  to  that  miraculous 
intervention  of  the  Supreme  Being  by  which  Christianity 
was  introduced  into  the  world.  On  such  a  theory,  where 
is  the  use  of  a  Saviour?  Man  is  not  a  degraded  being,  but 
is  developing  himself  into  a  higher  order ;  and  therefore  a 
scheme  to  restore  him  to  his  original  purity  and  dignity 
has  under  this  hypothesis  no  place.  In  short,  to  adopt 
the  language  of  Professor  Sedgwick,  it  is  "  an  h}^othesis 
which,  avowedly,  banishes  God  from  any  providential 
government  of  the  world;  repudiates,  and  scoffs  at,  any 
teaching,  except  such  as  springs  by  physical  necessity  out 
of  a  universal  scheme  of  materialism — a  scheme  which 
makes  religion  but  a  fable,  religious  teachers  but  a  band  of 
cheats,  and  a  petition  sent  up  to  God  in  prayer  but  a  blind 
and  ignorant  effort  to  reverse  or  tamper  with  the  unchange- 
able laws  of  nature.'"*  Such  being,  in  our  opinion,  the 
demoralizing  tendency  of  this  theory,  it  is  of  some  impor- 
tance to  prove  that  it  stands  upon  no  philosophical  basis, 
that  there  exist  no  gi'ounds  whatever  for  it ;  and  it  becomes 
worthy  of  refutation,  not  on  account  of  its  philosophical 
plausibility,  but  only  on  account  of  its  mischievous  ten- 
dency. 

*  Sedgwick's  "  Discourse  on  the  Studies  of  the  University  of  Cambridge." 
— Supplement  to  the  Appendix,  p.  309,  fifth  edition. 


NO  SCIENTIFIC  FACTS  IN  ITS  FAVOUR.  61 

Such  a  theory  is  a  mere  dream  and  delusion ;  it  is  based 
upon  mere  assumptions  and  negative  statements,  and  is 
wholly  unsupported  by  a  single  scientific  fact.     The  dis- 
coveries which  have  recently  been  made  among  the  vari- 
ous species  of  the  animalcules  have  shown  that  life  and 
organization  descend  to  a  much  lower  form  than  we  had 
any  conception  of.     Every  drop  of  water  and  every  blade 
of  grass  swarms  with  animal  life.     Formerly  it  was  sup- 
posed that  these  infusorial  animalcules  were  the  monads 
or  germs  of  existence — mere  animated  globules;  but  the 
microscope  has  now  disclosed  them  to  us  as  possessed  of 
various  organs,  and  many  of  them  as  wonderfully  formed 
and  as  completely  developed  after  their  kind  as  man  him- 
self; thus  destroying  entirely  the  notion  of  a  seK-creative 
power  in  nature  producing  the  mere  rudiments  of  exist- 
ence.    And  with  regard  to  the  other  part  of  the  theory, 
the  development  of  new  organs,  not  one  single  example 
can  be  produced  where  a  new  bodily  organ  has  developed 
itself.     Animals,  so  far  as  we  know,  continue  to  be  as  they 
were,  as  far  back  as  we  can  trace  their  species.     There  are 
fixed  bounds  to  each  species  beyond  which  it  cannot  pass. 
It  has  been  asserted  that  development  requires  time ;  but 
not  to  say  that  this  is  a  mere  assertion  founded  on  our 
ignorance,  we  have  demonstrative  proof  that  for  the  last 
three  thousand  years  animals  have  continued  as  they  are, 
— that  there  has  been  no  change  on  them,  either  for  the 
better  or  for  the  worse.     In  the  catacombs  of  Egypt  tliere 
are  mummies,  containing  not  only  the  bodies  of  human 
beings,  but  the  remains  of  sacred  animals.     These  remains 
have  been  minutely  examined  by  Cuvier,  and  higher  autho- 
rity on  such  a  point  never  existed,  and  he  declares,  that 
there  was  no  more  difference  between  them  than  between 
the  human  mumnnes  and  the  embalmed  bodies  of  men  of 


62  THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS: 

the  present  day.  "Among  the  Egyptian  mummies  thus 
procured,"  Sir  C.  Lyell  informs  us,  "were  not  only  those 
of  numerous  wild  quadrupeds,  birds,  and  reptiles;  but, 
what  was  perhaps  of  still  higher  importance  in  deciding  the 
question,  there  were  the  mummies  of  domestic  animals, 
among  which  the  bull,  the  dog,  and  the  cat,  were  fre- 
quent."* Three  thousand  years  have  passed  away  since 
these  animals  have  lived,  and  yet  no  change  in  the  species 
has  occurred.  To  assert  that  even  this  is  too  short  a  period 
is  a  confession  that  the  known  facts  of  science  are  all 
against  the  theory — that,  in  short,  the  system  of  develop- 
ment is  a  mere  dream  which  admits  not  of  argument  or 
proof. 

But  this  theory  of  development  is  not  only  unsupported 
by  scientific  facts,  but  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the  deduc- 
tions of  comparative  anatomy  and  physiology.  It  is  now 
an  ascertained  fact,  that  all  the  parts  and  organs  of  an 
animal  are  so  joined  together,  and  so  dependent  upon  each 
other,  that  no  change  can  take  place  on  one  of  them  with- 
out a  corresponding  change  upon  all  the  rest.  "  Every 
organised  individual,"  obsei'ves  Cuvier,  "forms  one  organised 
system  of  its  own,  all  the  parts  of  which  mutually  corre- 
spond and  concur  to  produce  a  certain  definite  purpose,  by 
reciprocal  reaction,  or  by  combining  towards  the  same 
end.  Hence  none  of  these  separate  parts  can  change  their 
forms,  without  a  corresponding  change  in  the  other  parts 
of  the  same  animal."  Change,  for  example,  the  teeth  of  a 
tiger  into  teeth  resembling  those  of  an  ox,  and,  in  order  to 
its  existence,  the  entire  form,  and  organs,  and  habits,  and 
food  of  the  animal  would  have  to  be  changed ; — a  change 
so  great  as  to  amount  to  a  new  creation.     Besides,  it  is  a 

*  Lyell's  "  Principles,"  p.  586,  fifth  edition. 


GEOLOGICAL  FACTS  OPPOSED  TO  IT.         63 

contradiction  to  assert,  that  the  habits  and  inclinations  of 
animals  have  given  rise  to  dr  developed  their  several  organs ; 
for  this  would  be  to  suppose  animals  to  desire  contrary  to 
their  inclinations.  The  natures  of  animals  are  perfectly- 
adapted  to  their  peculiar  habits  and  instincts ;  and  there- 
fore admit  of  no  development,  so  far  as  the  influence  of 
inclination  can  produce  a  change.  To  suppose  a  fish,  for 
example,  to  develop  itself  into  a  bird,  is  to  suppose  it  to 
act  in  opposition  to  its  own  proper  nature  and  to  its  pecu- 
liar habits,  instincts,  and  propensities.* 

But  it  is  especially  to  the  science  of  geology  that  this 
theory  of  development  appeals.  It  is  asserted,  that  in  the 
lowest  fossiliferous  strata  we  have  only  the  rudiments  of 
existence,  a  few  shells  and  worms;  that  as  we  ascend, 
existence  improves  and  developes  itself:  that  there  is  a 
regular  system  of  progression  from  a  lower  order  of  beings 
to  a  higher,  from  molluscs  to  fish,  from  fish  to  reptiles,  and 
from  reptiles  to  mammals,  until  we  reach  the  j)resent  race 
of  animals.  The  facts  of  geology,  however,  so  far  from 
being  favourable,  are  found  to  be  entirely  against  this 
theory.  The  lowest  fossiliferous  formation,  the  Silurian, 
does  not,  as  has  been  represented,  contain  only  the  rudi- 
ments and  embryos  of  existence.  It  is  true  that  the  chief 
fossils  discovered  in  it  are  shells,  but  several  of  these 
are  not  of  the  lowest  but  of  the  highest  class  of  their 
order.f    There  are  also  fish,  and  these  not  of  a  low  but  of  a 

*  Lucretius  and  the  ancient  atheists  supposed  that  the  organs  first 
existed  by  chance,  and  that  these  gave  rise  to  their  uses:  Lamarck  and 
the  modern  transmutationists  suppose  that  the  function  existed  first  and 
developed  the  organ. 

t  "  The  Bivalve  MoUusca,"  says  Professor  Phillips,  "  of  the  oldest 
Snowdonian  rocks  (the  lowest  fossiliferous  group)  were  certainly  as 
complicated,  nay,  more  highly  organised,  than  the  greater  number  of 
conchifera  of  the  present  ocean,  since  they  belong  to  the  brachiopoda." 


64  THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS: 

high  type,  "being  animals  of  at  least  as  liigh  a  nature 
as  the  sharks  of  the  present  creation  *  "  All  our  most 
ancient  fish,"  observes  Professor  Sedgwick,  "  belong  to 
a  high  organic  type;  and  the  very  oldest  species  that 
are  well  determined  fall  naturally  into  an  order  of 
fishes  which  Owen  and  Miiller  place,  not  at  the  bottom, 
but  at  the  top  of  the  whole  class."-f-  And  whilst  it  is 
true,  that,  so  far  as  has  been  discovered,  the  order  of 
fish  has  preceded  the  higher  order  of  reptiles,  and  the 
order  of  reptiles  the  higher  order  of  mammals,  and  that 
thus  there  is  a  system  of  progression :  yet  at  the  introduc- 
tion of  each  of  these  orders,  it  was  not  one  of  the  lower, 
but  of  the  higher  families  which  first  appeared.  The  fish 
of  the  Silurian  and  Old  Eed  Sandstone  are  high  up  in  the 
scale  of  fishes ;  the  reptiles  of  the  Lias  and  Oolite  are  more 
highly  organised  than  any  of  the  class  which  now  exists ; 
and  the  mammals  of  the  Tertiary  are  larger  in  bulk  than 
any  which  now  inhabit  the  earth.  In  each  of  these  orders 
there  has  been  no  development  from  a  lower  to  a  higher 
class :  it  was  the  higher  which  were  first  introduced.  Nor 
is  there  to  be  found  in  all  the  strata,  from  first  to  last,  a 
single  instance  of  development.  A  species  has,  after  having 
existed  for  ages,  disappeared,  and  been  succeeded  by  another 
and  an  entirely  different  one ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  what- 
ever, that  the  latter  species  is  in  any  way  connected  with 
the  former — there  are  no  connecting  links  between  them. 
In  short,  although  geology  does  disclose  a  system  of  pro- 

*  "The  lower  Silurian,"  said  Sir  Eoderick  Murchison  in  1847,  "is  no 
longer  to  be  viewed  as  an  invertebrate  period;  for  the  onchus  (a  species 
of  fish)  has  been  found  in  the  Llandeilo  flags  and  in  the  lower  Silurian 
rocks  of  Bala." 

f  Sedgwick's  "  Discourse  on  the  Studies  of  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge"— p.  Ixiv.,  Preface,  fifth  edition. 


GEOLOGICAL  FACTS  OPPOSED  TO  IT.         65 

gression  and  improvement,  yet  it  is  not  a  progression  by 
development,  which,  as  it  demonstrates,  has  never  existed. 
"  There  was  a  time,"  remarks  Hugh  Miller,  "  in  which  the 
ichthyic  form  constituted  the  highest  example  of  life ;  but 
the  seas  during  that  period  did  not  swarm  with  fish  of  the 
degraded  type.  There  was,  in  like  manner,  a  time  when 
all  the  carnivora  and  all  the  herbivorous  quadrupeds  were 
represented  by  reptiles;  but  there  are  no  such  magnificent 
reptiles  on  the  earth  now  as  reigned  over  it  then.  There 
was  an  after  time,  when  birds  seem  to  have  been  the  sole 
representatives  of  the  warm-blooded  animals ;  but  we  find, 
from  the  prints  of  their  feet  left  in  sandstone,  that  the 
tallest  men  might  have 

'  Walked  under  their  huge  legs,  and  peeped  about.' 

Farther,  there  was  an  age  when  the  quadrupedal  mammals 
were  the  magnates  of  creation ;  but  it  was  an  age  in  which 
the  sagacious  elephant,  now  extinct,  save  in  the  com- 
paratively small  Asiatic  and  African  circles,  and  restricted 
to  two  species,  was  the  inhabitant  of  every  country  of  the 
Old  World,  from  its  southern  extremity  to  the  frozen  shores 
of  the  northern  ocean;  and  when  vast  herds  of  closely 
allied  and  equally  colossal  genus  occupied  its  place  in  the 
New."* 

Thus  then  geology,  so  far  from  exhibiting  a  system  of 
progressive  development  of  the  several  orders  from  a  lower 
to  a  higher  state  of  being;  shows  rather  the  reverse, — a 
system  of  degradation.  The  fish  reached  the  climax  of 
their  development  during  the  periods  of  their  earliest  exist- 
ence, when  they  swarmed  in  the  seas  of  the  Silurian  and 
Old  Eed  Sandstone  worlds.     The  reptilia,  especially,  were 

*  Miller's  '■^  Footprints  of  the  Creator." — Second  edition,  p.  179. 


66  THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS: 

of  a  far  higher  class  and  type,  when  they  were  represented 
by  those  huge  monsters,  whose  skeletons  we  find  embedded 
in  the  rocks  of  the  Oolite  formation,  than  by  the  existing 
animals  of  their  order.  And  the  quadrupedal  mammalia 
of  the  Tertiary,  were  as  a  class  more  gigantic  than  the 
order  which  now  exists.  Facts  such  as  these,  whatever 
their  explanation  may  be,  are  entirely  at  variance  with 
the  above  hypothesis ;  for  they  demonstrate  that  there  was 
no  system  of  progressive  development — no  scale  of  being 
from  the  lower  to  the  higher  organisms  discoverable  in  the 
fossiliferous  rocks;  and  hence  it  is  that  every  geologist  of 
any  name  or  standing  is  opposed  to  such  a  scheme  of 
development,  as  being  untrue  to  fact. 

The  case,  as  geology  discloses  it,  appears  to  be  this.  Each 
order  of  animals  was  introduced  at  separate  periods:  and 
whilst  there  appears  to  be  no  development  or  advance  in 
any  particular  order,  yet  upon  the  whole  there  is  a  great 
advance  in  creation — the  lower  order  has  been  succeeded  by 
the  higher.  The  fish  appear  to  have  been  first  called  into 
existence ;  they  were  of  a  high  type  and  class :  this  age  of 
fish  was  succeeded  by  the  age  of  reptiles,  reptiles  of  gigantic 
size  and  high  organization:  the  age  of  reptiles  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  age  of  quadrupedal  mammals ;  and,  during 
the  deposition  of  the  Tertiary,  mammalia  appear  to  be 
the  characteristic  and  ruling  animals  of  that  period:  and 
the  age  of  quadrupedal  mammals  was  succeeded  by  the 
age  of  a  being  of  still  higher  order,  endowed  with  more 
exalted  powers,  and  appointed  to  a  far  higher  destiny — 
the  age  of  man.*     Thus  then  there  has  been  an  evident 

*  "  We  know  as  geologists,"  says  H.  Miller,  "  that  the  dynasty  of  the 
fish  was  succeeded  by  that  of  the  reptile, — that  the  dynasty  of  the  reptile 
was  succeeded  by  that  of  the  mammiferous  quadruped, — and  that  the 
dynasty  of  the  mammiferous  quadruped  was  succeeded  by  that  of  man  as 


GEOLOGICAL  SYSTEM  OF  PROGEESSION.  67 

progression ;  the  higher  orders  have  succeeded  the  lower — 
the  reptiles  the  fish,  the  quadrupedal  mammals  the  reptiles, 
and  man  the  quadrupedal  mammals;  at  each  period  an 
order  of  creatures  was  introduced,  greatly  in  advance  of 
its  predecessor ;  there  was  a  gradual  disclosure  of  the  per- 
fections of  God — a  disclosure  which  probably  formed  the 
subject  of  praise  and  admiration  to  the  higher  intelligences 
above.  But,  observe,  this  progression  is  not  cut  off  from 
the  immediate  interposition  of  God;  it  is  not  the  residt  of 
blind  chance  or  necessity;  but  it  is  inseparably  linked 
with  the  creative  energy  of  the  Most  High,  and  is  a  mani- 
fest proof  of  His  miraculous  interposition. 

If  it  be  inquired,  Why  were  not  the  higher  orders  of 
being  created  at  once?  Wliy  was  man,  the  lord  of  nature, 
formed  so  late?  Why  for  so  long  a  period  did  there  exist 
nothing  but  irrational  animals?  It  may  be  reasonably 
replied,  that  all  these  questions  are  presumptuous,  that 
time  is  very  different  to  God  and  to  us,  and  that  a  gradual 
disclosure  of  His  perfections  appears  to  be  best  adapted  to 
the  imperfect  capacities  of  His  rational  creatures.  But 
there  also  appear  to  have  been  physical  reasons.  These 
different  orders  of  animals  were  not  introduced  until  the 
earth  was  prepared  for  their  reception.  At  first,  tlie  earth 
appears  to  have  been  in  such  a  state  of  heat  as  to  be  incap- 
able of  supporting  any  living  creature.     At  the  time  when 

man  now  exists, — a  creature  of  mixed  character,  and  subject,  in  all  con- 
ditions, to  wide  alternations  of  enjoyment  and  suffering.  We  know, 
farther, — so  far  at  least  as  we  have  yet  succeeded  in  deciphering  the 
record, — that  the  several  dynasties  were  introduced,  not  in  their  lower, 
hut  in  their  higher  forms:  that  in  short,  in  the  imposing  programme  of 
creation  it  was  arranged,  as  a  general  rule,  that  in  each  of  the  great  divi- 
sions of  the  procession,  the  magnates  should  walk  first.  We  recognise 
yet  further  the  fact  of  degradation  specially  exenipliticd  in  the  lish  and 
the  reptile." — Miller's  ^'■Footprints"  p.  301. 


68  THE  DEVELOPMENT  HYPOTHESIS. 

the  earth  was  prepared  for  them,  fish  were  introduced; 
and  so  with  all  the  other  animals,  each  produced  in  his 
own  season,  and  fitted  to  the  peculiar  state  of  the  world, 
until  at  length  the  earth  was  brought  into  such  a  state  as 
to  receive  the  human  race.  Every  system  of  creation  is 
adapted  to  the  state  of  the  climate  that  then  was ;  so  that 
the  different  systems  would  have  perished  had  they  changed 
places.  In  the  time  of  the  Carboniferous  formation,  the 
atmosphere  appears  to  have  been  charged  with  carbonic 
gas,  destructive  to  the  life  of  the  higher  animals ;  and  dur- 
ing the  early  Tertiary  periods,  the  general  temperature  was 
equal  to  that  of  the  torrid  zone.  There  has  been  a  con- 
stant advance  and  improvement  of  the  inorganic  world; 
it  has  become  more  suited  to  higher  orders  of  being ;  and 
therefore  we  find  that  these  higher  orders  have  been  intro- 
duced by  an  all-wise  and  benevolent  Deity.  "  We  have 
only,"  observes  Dr.  Hitchcock,  "  to  suppose  that  the  Crea- 
tor exactly  adapted  organic  natures  to  the  several  geolo- 
gical periods,  and  we  perfectly  explain  the  phenomena  of 
organic  remains."*  "The  great  organic  changes,"  remarks 
Professor  Sedgwick,  "  were  brought  about,  not  by  gradual 
transmutation  wrought  among  the  specific  types  during 
a  long  lapse  of  ages,  but  by  altered  conditions  to  which 
the  organic  types  were  successively  adapted." -j- 

It  is  also  to  be  observed,  with  regard  to  this  develop- 
ment theory,  that  it  is  opposed  by  all  the  scientific  men  of 
the  age.  Whatever  may  be  the  opinions  of  these  men  on 
religious  subjects,  however  indifferent  some  of  them  may 
be  to  Christianity,  whatever  may  be  the  peculiar  branches 
of  natural  science  to  which  they  have  directed  their  atten- 
tion, yet  they  all,  with  united  voice,  declare  against  the 

*  Hitchcock's  "  Religion  of  Geology"  p.  258. 

t  Sedgwick's  "  Discourse"  &c.,  Preface  to  the  fifth  edition,  p.  Ixix. 


CREATION  BY  DIVINE  INTEEPOSITION.  69 

li}T)otliesis  of  development.     It  has  not  received  the  sup- 
port of  a  single  great  man  of  the  present  day — it  cannot 
reckon  among  its  modern  advocates  a  single  great  name. 
All  our  eminent  geologists,  Lyell,  Murchison,  Sedgwick, 
Buckland,   I)e  la  Beche,  D'Orbigny,  Hugh   Miller,  and 
Edward  Forbes ;  all  our  great  zoologists,  physiologists,  and 
comparative  anatomists,  Cuvier,  Agassiz,  Owen  and  Eoget ; 
all   our   distinguished    botanists,    Lindley,   Harvey,   and 
Hooker — all  with  united  voice  declare  against  it,— each  in 
his  own  department  asserts  that  it  has  not  a  single  fact  in 
its  favour,  and  that  it  contradicts  the  ascertained  facts  of 
science,  and  that,  however  plausible  it  may  appear  to  men 
of  narrow  views  and  limited  acquirements,  it  is  opposed 
to  all  those  general  deductions  which  constitute  the  higher 
walks  of  science.* 

II.  But  we  now  proceed,  in  the  second  place,  to  offer  a 
few  remarks  on  the  theory  of  creation  hy  Divine  interposi- 
tion. 

We  have  seen  that  the  theory  of  development  has  not  a 
single  fact  or  argument  to  support  it — that  it  is  opposed 
to  many  of  the  deductions  of  science — that  it  is  at  variance 

*  "I  believe  very  little,"  observes  Agassiz,  "  in  the  genetic  descent  of 
living  species  from  those  of  the  various  tertiary  laycis,  which  have  been 
regarded  as  identical,  but  which,  in  my  opinion,  are  specifically  distinct. 
I  cannot  admit  the  idea  of  the  transformation  of  S])ecies  from  one  for- 
mation to  another.  In  advancing  these  general  notions,  I  do  not  wish 
to  offer  them  as  inductions  drawn  from  the  study  of  any  particular  class 
of  animals,  and  applied  to  other  classes,  but  as  the  results  of  direct  obser- 
vation of  very  considerable  collections  of  fossils,  of  different  formations, 
nnd  belonging  to  different  classes  of  animals,  in  the  investigation  of 
which  I  have  been  specially  engaged  for  many  years."  In  Lyell's  "  Prin- 
ciples" there  is  a  most  masterly  refutation  of  the  hypothesis  of  Lamarck, 
Miller's  "  Footprints  of  the  Creation,"  and  Sedgwick's  Preface  to  the 
fifth  edition  of  his  "Discourse  on  the  Studies  of  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge," are  most  able  answers  to  the  "  Vestiges  of  Creation." 


70  CEEATION  BY  DIVINE  INTEEPOSITION. 

with  the  disclosures  of  geology — and  that  no  scientific 
writer  of  any  note  or  name  has  given  it  his  support.  The 
other  theory  that  has  been  advanced  to  account  for  the 
fact  of  creation,  is,  that  God  has  directly  interposed,  and 
that  creatures  owe  their  existence  to  His  immediate  agency. 
In  the  fossiliferous  strata  we  see  that  various  species  of 
animals  have  existed,  and  after  a  time  disappeared.  Their 
disappearance  or  extinction  may  very  easily  be  accounted 
for  by  a  change  of  circumstances.  The  dry  land  may 
have  become  sea,  or  the  sea  dry  land,  and  thus  all  the 
animals  which  inhabited  the  one  or  the  other  must  have 
perished.  The  climate  may  have  changed,  a  warm  tem- 
perature may  have  been  succeeded  by  one  much  colder, 
or  inversely,  and  this  would  cause  a  corresponding  change 
in  the  animal  and  vegetable  world.  We  know  that  toward 
the  close  of  the  Tertiary  formation  the  temperature  was 
greatly  altered  during  the  drift  period,  and  we  also  know 
that  in  consequence  of  this  alteration  numerous  species 
disappeared.  So  also  the  drying  up  of  any  large  inland 
lake,  as  for  example,  Lake  Superior  in  America,  which, 
according  to  the  calculations  of  Sir  C.  Lyell,  must  one  day 
take  place,  would  cause  the  extinction  of  several  peculiar 
species  of  plants  and  animals  which  are  found  only  there.* 
In  short,  it  is  now  an  ascertained  fact  in  geology,  that 
"the  greatest  changes  of  organic  types  among  the  strata 
are  connected  with  physical  revolutions." -f*     But  the  place 

*  Agassiz  has  discovered  in  Lake  Superior  and  the  neighbouring  lakes 
several  species  of  fish  not  found  in  any  other  water. 

t  "I  affirm  it  as  certain  truth,  that  the  greatest  changes  of  organic 
types  among  our  strata  are  connected  with  physical  revolutions,  and  that 
it  is  by  a  change  of  conditions,  and  not,  properly  speaking,  by  a  lapse  of 
time,  that  we  can  rationally  interpret  the  organic  sequence  of  the  old 
world." — Sedgwick's  "  Discourse"  Preface  to  the  fifth  edition,  p.  Ixxxv. 


INTRODUCTION  OF  SPECIES.  71 

of  extinct  aniinals  in  creation  lias  been  supplied  by  other 
creatures  of  a  distinct  nature.  Now,  whence  did  they 
come?  What  cause  produced  them?  They  could  not,  as 
we  have  seen,  possibly  be  developed  from  those  which  pre- 
ceded them ;  nor  was  there  any  thing  in  the  nature  of  the 
catastrophe  which  destroyed  the  former  race  of  animals 
that  could  call  them  into  being.  God  alone  can  be  the 
Author  of  their  existence — the  animating  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  must  have  moved  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth.  We 
have  here  an  instance  of  the  immediate  interposition  of  God 
— a  proof  of  the  existence  of  the  Supreme  Being  who  called 
these  creatures  into  existence,  and  re-peopled  the  world. 
He  it  was  who  spake  the  word,  "  Let  the  waters  bring  forth 
abundantly,  and  let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  living  crea- 
ture after  his  kind;"  and  the  effect  followed:  the  seas  were 
again  filled,  and  the  land  was  again  occupied  with  created 
beings.  What  Sir  Isaac  Newton  observes  with  reference 
to  the  arrangements  of  matter,  is  still  more  applicable  to 
the  introduction  of  new  systems  of  living  creatures.  "  The 
growth  of  new  systems  out  of  old  ones,  without  the  media- 
tion of  a  divine  power,  seems  to  me  to  be  apparently 
absurd." 

But  especially  does  this  direct  interposition  of  God 
appear  most  signally  in  the  recent  origin  of  man.  That 
the  introduction  of  man  into  the  world  was  at  a  period 
comparatively  recent,  is  a  fact  admitted  by  all  geologists. 
No  remains  of  him,  nor  any  of  his  works,  are  to  be  found 
in  any  of  the  fossiliferous  rocks.  In  the  Tertiary  formation 
there  are  the  remains  of  some  animals  which  now  exist, 
but  there  is  not  the  vestige  or  the  trace  of  man.  It  is  not 
imtil  we  come  to  the  alluvium  that  we  discover  liis  bones 
and  his  works.  Thus,  then,  we  can  point  to  long  cycles 
of  ages  when  man  was  not,  and  to  the  precise  epoch  when 


72  CREATION  BY  DIVINE  INTERPOSITION. 

he  began  to  be*  Geology,  then,  discloses  the  great  fact 
of  the  introduction  of  the  human  race.  And  surely  when 
we  consider  the  vast  distance  which  there  is  between  man 
and  the  inferior  animals,  the  mental  and  moral  powers 
with  which  he  is  endowed,  it  is  the  height  of  extravagance 
to  suppose  that  he  owes  his  existence  to  development. 
The  interval  betAveen  man  and  the  highest  of  the  inferior 
animals  is  wide  and  unfilled  up.  We  have  not  only  to 
account  for  the  bodily  shape  of  man,  but  also  for  his  mental 
nature.  Man,  then,  is  the  immediate  work  of  God,  far 
superior  to,  and  removed  from,  any  creature  which  now 
exists,  or  has  in  former  geological  ages  existed  upon  the 
earth,  "  So  God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  God  created  He  him." 

It  was  formerly  a  favourite  argument  among  atheistical 
writers,  that  there  has  been  an  eternal  series  of  all  the 
animals  which  now  inhabit  the  earth.  Thus,  according  to 
them,  things  have  continued  as  they  were  from  the  begin- 
ning ;  each  sx^ecies  has  propagated  its  own  kind  during  the 
infinite  ages  that  are  past:  there  has  been  an  eternity  of 
each  kind  of  animals.  Man,  for  example,  instead  of  being 
created  at  a  particular  period,  has,  as  a  race,  existed  from 
eternity.  We  have  not  now,  as  formerly,  to  betake  our- 
selves to  metaphysical  arguments  against  this  objection ; 
the  science  of  geology  entirely  confutes  it ;  it  sweeps  away 
the  foundation  on  which  it  stands.  It  points  back  to  a 
period  when  it  asserts,  without  the  slightest  possibility  of 

*  "  Independently  of  every  written  testimony,  we  prove  by  natural 
evidence  that  man,  with  all  his  powers  and  appetencies,  his  marvellous 
structure,  and  his  fitness  for  the  world  around  him,  was  called  into  being 
within  a  few  thousand  years  of  the  days  in  which  we  live — not  by  a 
transmutation  of  species,  (a  theory  no  better  than  a  phrenzied  dream,) 
but  by  a  provident  contriving  power." — Sedgwick's  ^^  Discourse,"  p.  26, 
fifth  edition. 


MIKAC'ULOUS  PEOVIDENCE.  73 

mistake,  and  without  tlie  least  fear  of  contradiction, 
that  man  and  all  the  present  race  of  animals  were  not. 
Thus,  then,  it  is  an  ascertained  fact,  that  each  of  the  exist- 
ing species  had  a  beginning ;  and  thus  the  infinite  series  of 
the  atheist  can  have  no  place  in  modern  science. 

But  the  fact  of  creation  not  only  contradicts  the  notion 
of  the  atheist,  it  also  confutes  the  argument  of  the  infidel 
against  the  miracles  of  the  gospel.  The  infidel  argues  that 
a  miracle  cannot  be  proved,  because  it  is  contrary  to  uni- 
form experience — that  the  laws  of  nature  have  ever  been 
constant — and  that  no  testimony  whatever  can  establish  a 
miracle,  because  it  is  as  probable  that  the  testimony  may 
be  false  as  it  is  that  the  miracle  may  be  true.  Now,  not  to 
dwell  upon  the  fallacy  of  this  argument,  we  have  in  geo- 
logy examples  of  divine  interpositions,  that  is  of  miracles, 
in  the  repeated  introductions  of  different  species  of  animals. 
Here  are  miracles :  plain,  palpable,  and  undeniable  mira- 
cles. The  miracle  of  creation  has  been  repeated  over  and 
over  aaain.  Thus,  then,  miracles  cannot  be  said  to  be  con- 
trary  to  experience ;  we  have  demonstrative  evidence  that 
they  have  frequently  occurred.  And,  observe  also,  this 
evidence  is  not  derived  from  testimony ;  it  is  the  evidence 
of  our  own  senses ;  we  can  read  it  with  our  own  eyes ;  we 
have  only  to  look  for  ourselves ;  to  examine  the  rocks,  and 
the  fossil  remains  which  they  contain,  in  order  to  come  to 
the  inevitable  conclusion  of  all  geologists,  that  throughout 
the  vast  ages  of  the  past  there  has  been  a  series  of  crea- 
tions distinct  from  each  other.*    We  appeal,  then,  to  these 

*  "  Even  Hume,"  observes  Professor  Hitchcock,  "  would  hardly  deny 
that  the  creation  of  whole  series  of  animals  and  plants  was  miraculous ; 
and  yet,  in  proof  of  that  creation,  we  need  not  depend  on  testimony;  for 
we  can  read  it  with  our  own  eyes  upon  the  solid  rocks." — Hitchcock's 
"  Religion  of  Geology"  p.  279. 

E 


74  CEEATION  BY  DIVINE  INTEEPOSITION. 

creations  as  infallible  proofs  that  God  has  interfered  in  the 
government  of  the  world,  and  therefore  as  confutations  of 
the  assertion  that  He  has  never  so  interfered.  And  if 
God  has  thus  wrought  miracles  to  repeople  the  earth  with 
new  creations,  it  is  still  more  probable,  that  He  would 
interpose  when  the  human  race,  destined  for  immortality  and 
formed  in  His  image,  had  fallen  into  a  state  of  moral  ruin, 
in  order  to  reveal  His  will  concerning  them,  and  to  mani- 
fest Himself,  not  merely  as  the  Creator,  but  in  the  still 
higher  character  as  the  Saviour  of  the  lost. 

And  still  farther,  we  think  the  argument  may  be  applied, 
not  merely  to  the  miraculous,  but  to  the  special  Providence 
of  God.    There  are  some  who  suppose  that  no  such  special 
Providence  exists ;  that  all  is  ordered  by  unbending  and 
inflexible  law ;  that,  for  example,  it  is  useless  to  pray  for 
rain  in  the  time  of  drought,  or  for  health  in  the  time  of 
sickness,  or  for  safety  in  the  time  of  danger— that  all  things 
depend  upon  the  laws  of  nature,  and  the  laws  of  nature 
are  constant.     But  when  I  read  in  my  Bible  of  God's  care 
for  each  of  His  creatures ;  when  I  read  about  the  number- 
ing of  our  hairs,  and  the  fall  of  a  sparrow;  I  cannot  believe 
in  the  non-existence  of  a  special  Providence.     And  when 
I  see  in  the  rocks  that  Providence  has  been  exercised  over 
and  over  again,  and  that  not  merely  in  the  creation,  but  in 
the  various  adaptations  of  the  different  animals,  in  their 
extinction  as  well  as  in  their  introduction;  I  am  led  to 
suppose  that  the  same  reign  of  Providence  continues.     I 
see  numberless  ways  and  means  in  which  this  Providence 
can  be  exercised  without  any  direct  or  at  least  sensible 
interference  with  the  laws  of  nature.     The  divine  Bein^r, 
who  holds  the  hearts  of  all  men  in  His  hands,  can  so 
dispose  and  influence  their  minds  as  to  bring  about  His 
purposes.     He  can  suggest  thoughts  within  them,  by  the 


SPECIAL  PKOVIDENCE.  75 

inspiration  of  His  Spirit,  unknown  to  them,  and  thus  by 
this  means  alone  effect  an  entu-e  change  upon  the  circum- 
stances, not  only  of  the  individual  himself,  but  of  those 
connected  with  him.  And  thus,  almost  in  every  case,  by 
an  exertion  of  a  divine  influence  on  the  minds  of  ourselves 
or  others,  our  prayers  may  be  directly  answered.  And  as 
to  the  external  laws  of  nature,  there  may  be  secret  ways, 
hidden  and  concealed  from  us,  by  which  even  these  may 
be  influenced,  so  that  the  very  thing  for  which  a  man 
prays,  the  rain  in  the  season  of  drought,  and  the  health  in 
the  season  of  sickness,  and  the  safety  in  the  season  of 
danger,  may  take  place,  and  all  apparently  by  natural 
means.*  Some  there  are  who  suppose  that  the  entire  use 
of  prayer  is  the  indirect  effect,  the  reflex  influence  that 
it  has  upon  our  minds,  by  making  us  more  submissive, 
and  more  patient,  and  more  humble,  but  that  we  are  not 
to  expect  a  direct  and  immediate  answer.  But  surely  this 
is  not  the  nature  of  prayer  as  revealed  in  the  Bible.  There 
we  are  told  to  come  to  God  as  children  to  a  father,  and  are 
assured  that  whatever  we  ask  we  will  receive ;  in  short, 
that  at  the  throne  of  grace  God  condescends  to  meet  us, 

*  These  interpositions  of  Providence  may  also  be  brought  about  by  the 
surprising  conjunctions  of  circumstances.  An  earthquake,  for  example, 
may  be  considered  simi)ly  as  a  natural  phenomenon;  but  its  occurring  at 
the  verj-  spot  where  Korah  and  the  rebellious  Israelites  had  pitched  their 
tents,  is  a  proof  of  a  special  interposition  on  the  part  of  God.  And 
although  in  this  instance  the  interposition  is  so  marked  that  it  may  justly 
be  denominated  miraculous,  yet  conjunctions  of  circumstances  equally 
surprising  and  equally  remarkable  have  frequently  occurred.  "  Herein," 
says  Isaac  Taylor,  "is  especially  manifested  the  jjerfection  of  divine 
wisdom,  that  the  most  surprising  conjunctions  of  events  are  brought 
about  by  the  simplest  means,  and  in  a  manner  that  is  perfectly  in  har- 
mony with  the  ordinary  course  of  human  affairs.  This  is,  in  fact,  the 
great  miracle  of  Providence,  that  no  miracles  are  needed  to  accomplish 
its  purposes." 


76         FUTURE  CONDITION  OF  THE  EAETH. 

even  as  an  earthly  benefactor  bis  fellowmen ;  and  tbat,  as 
we  can  influence  and.  persuade  man  by  our  prayers,  so 
much  more  can  we  influence  and  persuade  God,  the  most 
benevolent  and  liberal  of  beings. 

To  conclude,  we  have  seen  that  although  geology  does 
not  countenance  the  notion  of  development,  yet  it  discloses 
a  system  of  progression  by  which  a  higher  order  of  beings 
succeeds  a  lower;  the  dynasty  of  fish  has  been  succeeded 
by  the  dynasty  of  reptiles,  and  the  dynasty  of  reptiles  has 
been  succeeded  by  the  dynasty  of  quadrupedal  mammals, 
and  the  dynasty  of  quadrupedal  mammals  has  been  suc- 
ceeded by  the  dynasty  of  man*  Man  now  appears  on  this 
earth  as  the  highest  of  created  beings ;  he  is  constituted 
the  lord  of  the  inferior  creation.  "  All  things  are  put  in 
subjection  under  his  feet;  all  sheep  and  oxen;  the  beasts 
of  the  field,  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea." 
Tliere  is  a  great  gap  between  him  and  the  highest  of 
the  inferior  animals,  greater  than  that  which  exists  between 
one  animal  and  another.  But  has  creation  now  reached  its 
ultimate  state  of  perfection?  Will  the  dynasty  of  man  not 
give  place  to  something  better,  and  be  succeeded  by  a 
higher  and  nobler  dynasty?  Analogy  suggests  that  crea- 
tion is  progressive,  and  that  the  future  will  yet  disclose  a 
higher  order  of  being.  And  what  analogy  suggests,  Scrip- 
ture appears  to  confirm.  We  are  there  told  that  redeemed 
man  shall  be  glorified  and  advanced  to  a  state  of  perfec- 
tion, which  shall,  in  all  probability,  excel  our  present  con- 
dition, as  much  as  our  present  condition  excels  that  of  the 
inferior  animals.  "  We  learn,"  observes  Hugh  Miller, 
"  that  the  dynasty  of  man,  in  the  mixed  state  and  charac- 
ter, is  not  the  final  one,  but  that  there  is  to  be  yet  another 

*  The  reader  need  not  be  informed  that  the  phraseology  here  employed 
is  that  of  Hugh  Miller. 


DYNASTY  OF  REDEEMED  MAN.  77 

creation,  or,  more  properly,  re-creation,  known  theologi- 
cally as  the  resurrection,  which  shall  be  connected  in  its 
physical  components,  by  bonds  of  mysterious  paternity, 
with  the  dynasty  which  now  reigns,  and  be  bound  to  it 
mentally  by  the  chain  of  identity,  conscious  and  actual; 
but  which,  in  all  that  constitutes  superiority,  shall  be  as 
vastly  its  superior  as  the  dynasty  of  responsible  man  is 
superior  to  even  the  lowest  of  the  preliminary  dynasties."* 
We  are  informed  in  Scripture,  that  the  present  system 
will  be  destroyed  by  fire,  that  "  the  earth  and  the  works 
that  are  therein  shall  be  burnt  up."  But  no  annihilation 
will  result  from  such  a  conflagration ;  out  of  the  ruins  of 
the  old  world,  a  new  world  will  spring  into  existence. 
"Nevertheless,"  adds  the  apostle,  "we,  according  to  his 
promise,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness."  We  dare  not  affirm,  as  many 
theologians  have  done,  that  this  world  renovated  will  be 
the  abode  of  immortal  and  redeemed  men;  but  from  vari- 
ous passages  of  Scripture,  and  several  analogies  in  nature, 
there  seems  a  probability  that  such  may  be  the  case.  Then 
will  creation  be  advanced  to  a  far  liigher  perfection  than 
at  present ;  then  will  man  be  raised  to  a  far  higher  state  of 
glory  and  dignity;  then  will  his  moral  and  intellectual  and 
corporeal  natures  be  exalted  and  purified.  "  It  doth  not 
yet  appear  what  we  shall  be."   A  purely  intellectual  being, 

*  Miller's  ''Footprints  of  the  Creator"  2d  edition,  p.  301.  We  would 
earnestly  recommend  this  work  to  the  reader.  Like  all  the  other  works 
of  Hugh  Miller  it  is  a  work  of  genius ;  there  is  in  it  a  wonderful  com- 
mand of  the  English  language,  and  the  reasoning  is  strong  and  forcible. 
Three  chapters  near  the  beginning  are  however  nearly  unintelligible, 
except  to  those  acquainted  with  palteontology  and  comparative  anatomy. 
The  other  portions  of  the  work  are  perspicuous;  but  upon  the  whole  this 
is  the  most  technical,  and  on  that  account  the  least  popular  work  of  that 
great  and  good  man. 


78  THE  FUTUEE  ECONOMY. 

such  as  an  angel,  could  not,  in  all  probability,  tell  what 
higher  order  of  corporeal  creatures  would  succeed  that  of 
the  quadrupedal  mammalia;  nor  can  we  form  any  idea  of 
wherein  will  consist  the  superior  excellence  and  dignity  of 
redeemed  men*  This  is  the  kingdom  of  Christ;  that 
kingdom,  the  subjects  of  which  are  all  righteous,  and  who 
shall  enter  upon  a  course  of  progressive  improvement 
throughout  the  ages  of  eternity. 

The  late  Hugh  Miller,  in  his  "  Footprints  of  the  Crea- 
tor," draws  another  striking  analogy  from  the  lessons 
which  geology  teaches  us.  He  has  observed,  that  whilst 
there  is  an  advance  of  being  in  general,  there  is  a  degrada- 
tion of  particular  orders — the  fish,  the  reptiles,  and  the 
mammalia  have  all  degenerated  from  what  they  once  were 
in  past  geological  ages.  So,  he  observes,  it  will  be  to  a 
considerable  extent  with  the  human  race.  Being  will 
advance  in  the  order  of  redeemed  men ;  but  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  dynasty  "  there  will  be  a  re-creation  of 
not  only  elevated,  but  also  of  degraded  beings — a  re-crea- 
tion of  the  lost."  Perhaps  the  analogy  is  overdrawn,  but 
still  it  is  striking,  and  the  fact  which  it  is  thought  to  sha- 
dow forth  is  true.  The  human  race  shall  be  divided  into 
two  great  classes — the  class  of  the  saved  and  the  class 
of  the  lost — between  whom  a  great  moral  guK  will  be 
fixed,  and  that  gulf  will  widen  throughout  eternity.  It 
depends  upon  ourselves  to  which  of  these  two  classes  we 
will  belong ;  our  eternal  destiny  is  committed  to  our  care ; 
it  relies  upon  ourselves  whether,  in  a  future  life,  we  will 

*  The  comparison  is  not  here  stated  sufficiently  strongly;  it  should  be 
thus:  even  as  the  quadrupedal  mammals  of  the  Tertiary,  supposing 
them  capable  of  reasoning,  could  form  no  idea  of  the  higher  dynasty  of 
man  which  was  to  succeed  them;  so  no  more  can  we  form  any  concep- 
tion of  the  still  higher  dynasty  of  redeemed  man  which  shall  succeed  us. 


THE  FUTURE  ECONOMY.  79 

be  elevcated  or  degraded  beings.  Let  us  make  religion  the 
great  duty  of  our  lives;  let  us  seek  to  obtain  an  interest 
tn  Christ,  and  in  the  benefits  of  that  redemption  which  He 
has  procured  for  us;  and  thus,  by  an  habitual  reliance  on 
the  merits  of  the  Saviour,  a  cultivation  of  the  virtues  of 
the  Christian  character,  and  a  patient  continuance  in  well- 
doing, let  us  seek  after  glory  and  honour  and  immortality. 


CHAPTEE   IV. 

THE  MOSAIC  DAYS. 

The  sacred  Scriptures  open  with  a  description  of  the  crea- 
tion and  arrangement  of  the  universe — a  description  which, 
for  the  union  of  simplicity  of  diction  with  sublimity  of 
thought,  is  probably  unequalled  by  any  composition.  The 
first  sentence  contains  a  comprehensive  statement  of  the 
creation  of  the  universe.  It  reveals  God  to  us,  as  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  great  First  Cause,  the 
Source  and  Origin  of  all  existence.  And  there  is  a  majes- 
tic simplicity  in  the  narrative  of  the  several  acts  which 
follow.  "And  God  said.  Let  there  be  light;  and  there 
was  light."  The  simple  word  of  Jehovah  is  alone  suffi- 
cient to  produce  the  required  effect;  He  has  only  to  speak, 
and  the  work  is  done ;  to  command,  and  all  things  stand 
fast.  Wliat  a  contrast  is  there  between  this  account  of 
creation  by  Moses  and  the  heathen  cosmogonies !  Although 
sometimes  admired  by  ingenious  men,  yet  they  are  in 
reality  mere  childish  tales,  mere  fabulous  inventions,  desti- 
tute alike  of  philosophic  truth  and  probability  to  recom- 
mend them.  The  religions  of  the  heathen  are  inseparably 
connected  with  the  teachings  of  a  false  science;  these  con- 
stitute part  and  parcel  of  their  doctrine;  and  therefore 
their  falsehood  is  a  sufficient  reason  to  cause  the  claims 
of  those  religions  to  a  divine  origin  to  be  rejected.     But 


MOSAIC  ACCOUNT  OF  CREATION.  81 

there  is  nothing  of  this  kind  in  Scripture ;  it  does  not  pro- 
fess to  teach  scientific  truth ;  the  facts  of  science  consti- 
tute no  part  of  its  theology ;  and  when  it  does  touch  upon 
natural  phenomena,  it  is  to  illustrate  religious  truth,  and 
to  render  it  intelligible  to  the  people  to  whom  the  revela- 
tion was  given. 

Hence,  then,  the  truth  of  revelation  does  not  depend  upon 
the  philosophical  truth  or  falsehood  of  the  scientific  facts 
wliich  it  is  supposed  to  contain,  because  these  facts  consti- 
tute no  part  of  the  revelation,  but  are  merely  illustrative  ; 
although  we  believe  that  the  scriptural  language,  when 
properly  interpreted,  will  be  found,  not  to  be  contradicted, 
but   elucidated    by  the  modern   discoveries   of    science. 
WTiereas  it  is  very  different  with  heathen  religions ;  the 
scientific  facts  contained  in  them  constitute  an  essential  part 
of  their  theologies.     Perhaps  the  account  of  the  creation  of 
the  world  may  by  some  be  considered  as  an  exception  to  this 
remark,  but,  so  far  as  we  know,  it  is  the  only  exception;  and 
the  contrast  between  it  and  the  absurdities  of  the  heathen 
cosmogonies  is  most  apparent.     "  These  follies,"  (the  hea- 
then cosmogonies,)  observes  Dr.  King,  "  even  when  di'essed 
out  in  all  the  fascinations  of  learning  and  eloquence,  make 
a  poor  figure  beside  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis— simple, 
grave,  majestic,  as  we  could  desire  any  narrative  to  be, 
having  God  for  its  Author,  and  Providence  for  its  subject."* 
In  this  chapter  we  propose  to  consider  the  six  creative 
days,  as  recorded  by  Moses  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis ; 
to  contemplate  them  in  the  new  light  which  geology  affords ; 
not  to  force  them  into  an  agreement  with  the  doctrines  of 
that  science,  but  to  endeavour,  according  to  the  principles  of 
a  sound  philology,  to  find  out,  if  possible,  their  true  mean- 
ing ;  and  although  we  may  be  unable  to  cUscover  what  is  the 

*  King's  "  Geology  and  Reliyion,"  pp.  83,  84. 


82  MOSAIC  ACCOUNT  OF  CEEATION. 

true  principle  of  reconciliation,  yet  to  prove  at  least,  that 
in  the  Mosaic  narrative  of  creation,  there  exists  no  real 
discrepancy  between  the  facts  of  science  and  the  state- 
ments of  revelation. 

Now,  it  is  freely  admitted  that  this  is  a  subject  of  great 
difficulty.  It  is  with  regard  to  the  six  creative  days,  and 
not  with  regard  to  the  age  of  the  world,  that  the  real  prob- 
lem of  harmonizing  the  narration  of  Moses  with  the  dis- 
coveries of  geology  consists.  Scripture  does  nowhere  assert 
the  age  of  the  world;  it  leaves  this  matter  entirely  unde- 
termined ;  it  states  the  time  of  creation  indefinitely  as  "  in 
the  beginning,"  and  thus  affords  ample  room  for  the  cycles 
of  geology.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  does  assert  that  the 
earth  was  put  into  its  present  form  in  the  space  of  six  days, 
that  each  day  had  its  peculiar  work,  and  that  at  the  end  of 
that  period  the  whole  was  perfected  and  finished.  Now 
there  are,  it  is  not  to  be  denied,  several  geological  difficul- 
ties which  stand  in  the  way  of  this  account  of  creation,  as 
commonly  interpreted  by  us — some  points  in  the  harmony 
between  Scripture  and  geology  formerly  advanced,  which 
the  late  discoveries  of  science  require  should  be  re-con- 
sidered and  modified.  These  difificidties  must  not  be 
shrunk  from,  but  boldly  met  and  encountered,  being  con- 
fident that  Scripture  shall  suffer  nothing  from  scientific 
discoveries.  "  Those  are  not  the  best  friends  of  Christianity, 
who  feel  either  dislike  or  alarm  when  the  torch  of  science, 
or  the  torch  of  history,  is  held  up  to  the  Bible." 

I.  The  first  point  to  be  ascertained  is,  Wliat  is  the  true 
nature  of  the  language  employed?  AVh ether  the  descrip- 
tion here  given  us  by  Moses  is  a  poem,  a  vision,  or  a  simple 
narrative?  Until  this  is  decided,  we  cannot  proceed  one 
step  in  the  interpretation  of  the  passage.  Now  there  are 
several  opinions  on  this  point  which  merit  our  attention. 


THE  MYTHICAL  THEOEY.  83 

One  theory,  advanced  by  the  Rev.  Baden  Powell,  Savi- 
lian  Professor  of  Geometry  in  Oxford,  is,  that  the  account 
given  lis  by  Moses  is  not  to  be  considered  or  interpreted 
as  a  historical  narrative,  but  that  it  is  simply  a  "  mythic 
poem,"  intended  to  teach  the  Israelites  that  the  universe 
owes  its  existence  to  Jehovah ;  that  this  is  the  great  germ 
of  truth  in  the  account,  and  that  the  other  matters  are 
merely  accessories  and  embellishments.*  "  The  one  great 
fact,"  he  observes,  "  couched  in  the  general  assertion  that 
all  things  were  created  by  the  sole  power  of  one  Supreme 
Being,  is  the  whole  of  the  representation  to  which  an  his- 
torical character  can  be  assigned.  As  to  the  particular 
form  in  which  the  descriptive  narrative  is  conveyed,  we 
merely  affirm  that  it  cannot  be  history — it  may  be  poetry." 
Thus,  then,  according  to  this  theory,  the  Mosaic  account 
is  not  history,  but  mythic  poetry.  And  we  are  no  more 
to  expect  to  find  out  a  reconciliation  between  it  and  the 
facts  of  science,  than  we  are  to  look  for  an  exact  agree- 
ment between  Milton's  "  Paradise  Lost"  and  the  true  his- 
tory of  the  fall. 

But  such  a  theory  is  liable  to  very  grave  objections.  It 
appears  to  us  to  be  at  variance  with  the  notion  of  the 
inspiration  of  the  Mosaic  narrative;  the  knot  is  merely 
cut,  it  is  not  unloosened.  Professor  Powell  admits  the 
inspiration  of  Moses,  and  that  he  was  the  author  or  editor 

*  This  theory  was  first  advanced  by  Professor  Powell  in  his  "  Connec- 
tion of  Natural  and  Divine  Truth;"  it  is  again  brought  forward  by  him 
in  the  article  "  Creation,"  in  Kitto's  "  Encyclopajdia  of  Biblical  Litera- 
ture," and  more  recently  in  his  "  Christianity  without  Judaism."  The 
same  hypothesis  was  advanced  in  a  sermon  of  Professor  Powell's,  entitled, 
"  Revelation  and  Science,"  and  published  at  Oxford  in  1 833.  The  sennon 
is  a  most  able  one,  and  contains  some  very  valuable  observations,  not- 
withstanding what  we  think  the  erroneous  notions  of  the  author  on  this 
particular  point. 


84  THE  MYTHICAL  THEOEY. 

of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis ;  he  speaks  of  Moses  being 
"  inspired  to  adapt  and  apply  the  narrative,  borrowed,  per- 
haps, from  some  poetical  cosmogony,  to  the  ends  of  reli- 
gious instruction;"  but  it  is  not  easy  to  see  how  this 
admission  agrees  with  his  theory,  that  the  account  of  crea- 
tion is  a  myth.  Nor  is  there  anything  in  the  passage  that 
would  lead  us  to  suppose  that  we  have  here  merely  a  fic- 
titious poem.  The  style  is  evidently  historical,  and  not 
poetical ;  and  its  form  is  that  of  a  plain  narrative,  and  not 
of  an  instructive  parable.  "  The  whole,"  observes  Dr.  Pye 
Smith,  "  is  in  the  style  of  plain  narrative,  evidently  intended 
to  be  understood  as  a  simple,  straightforward,  unadorned 
history.  The  dramatic  form,  introducing  the  Creator  as 
speaking,  to  command  an  effect;  and  then  stating  that 
the  effect  followed,  and  that  He  was  pleased  with  the  con- 
templation of  it,  is  a  part  of  the  great  characteristic  which 
runs  through  all  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  and  especially  the 
earlier  parts  of  them,  the  Anthropopathia ;  a  mode  of 
expression  adapted,  by  the  graciousness  of  the  Divine  con- 
descension, to  the  capacity  and  habits  of  thought  which 
belong  to  men  in  an  unpolished  state  of  society,  who  were 
totally  ignorant  of  abstract  phraseology,  and  would  have 
been  unable  to  receive  spiritual  sentiments,  unless  clothed 
in  language  borrowed  from  sensible  objects,  and  from  the 
emotions  and  actions  of  men."*  But  what  especially  leads 
us  to  reject  this  theory  of  Professor  Powell,  is,  that  if  the 
account  of  creation  be  a  myth,  we  have  no  guarantee 
for  the  truth  of  other  portions  of  the  books  of  Moses ;  the 
same  mode  of  reasoning  may  be  applied  to  them.  And 
when  once  we  admit  the  mythic  principle,  it  is  impossible 
to  distinguish  what  is  true  from  what  is  false  in  the  account 

*  Smith's  ^'■Scripture  and  Geology,"  pp.  179,  180,  Bohn's  edition. 


MOSAIC  VISION  OF  CREATION.  85 

given  us.  Even  although,  then,  we  coukl  see  no  way  of 
sohang  the  problem,  yet  so  long  as  we  hold  the  Mosaic 
account  to  be  part  of  a  divine  revelation,  we  must  not 
have  recourse  to  the  above  hypothesis,  which  indeed  solves 
the  difficulty,  but  at  the  expense,  as  it  appears  to  us,  of 
inspiration ;  we  must  rather  be  content  to  remain  in  ignor- 
ance, believing,  in  the  meanwhile,  that  there  is  no  real 
opposition  between  science  and  revelation;  but  that  the 
facts  of  the  one,  and  the  declarations  of  the  other,  are  both 
founded  on  truth. 

Another  theory  is,  that  the  account  given  by  Moses  is 
the  relation  of  what  was  revealed  to  him  in  vision,  or  in  a 
series  of  visions — a  description  of  what  he  saw  in  pictorial 
representations.  This  theory  has  been  maintained  under 
a  variety  of  forms,  and  sometimes  with  considerable  inge- 
nuity. "  If,"  says  Dr.  Knapp,  "  we  would  form  a  clear  and 
distinct  notion  of  this  whole  description  of  creation,  we 
must  conceive  of  six  separate  pictures,  in  which  this  great 
work  is  represented  in  each  successive  stage  of  its  progress 
towards  completion.  And  as  the  performance  of  the  painter, 
though  it  must  have  natural  truth  for  its  foundation,  must 
not  be  considered,  or  judged  of,  as  a  delineation  of  mathe- 
matical or  scientific  accuracy,  so  neither  must  this  pictorial 
representation  of  the  creation  be  regarded  as  literally  and 
exactly  true."*  Similar  theories  of  conciliation,  with  some 
variety  in  their  details,  have  been  advanced  by  other 
writers:  in  particular  by  Dr.  Kurtz  in  Eussia,"f*  and  by 
Mr.  Sime  in  our  own  country,  in  his  "  Mosaic  Eecord  in 
Harmony  with  the  Geological"  But,  in  all  probability, 
this  theory  would  have  been  forgotten,  or  given  up  as 

'  See  Knapp's  ^'■Lectures  on  Christian  Theology  "  \o\  i.,  p.  35.5-360. 
t  The  theory  of  Dr.  Kurtz  is  given  at  length  by  Mr.  Miller,  in  his 
"  Testimony  of  the  Hocks." 


86  MOSAIC  VISION  OF  CREATION. 

untenable,  liad  not  Hugh  Miller,  in  his  last  work,  "  The 
Testimony  of  the  Eocks,''  given  it  the  authority  of  his 
distinguished  name,  and  embellished  it  with  all  the 
fascinations  of  his  wonderful  eloquence*  He  supposes 
that  the  whole  series  of  geological  formations  from  the 
gneiss  down  to  the  tertiary  were  "  revealed  in  a  series  of 
visions  to  Moses,  as  the  successive  scenes  of  a  great  air- 
drawn  panorama."  This  theory,  however,  we  think,  must 
be  relinquished,  or  at  least  greatly  modified,  l)y  every  one, 
who  in  his  researches  after  truth  is  guided  by  the  prin- 
ciples of  a  cautious  philosophy.  It  derives  the  greater 
part  of  its  plausibility  from  the  imagination,  rather  than 
from  the  judgment.  There  is  nothing  whatever  in  the 
account  given  us  by  Moses,  which  would  lead  us  to  suppose 
that  he  was  recording  a  description  of  a  vision  which  he 
had  seen:  the  language  is  that  of  a  plain,  simple,  and 
'\  unadorned  narrative,  and  it  is  altogether  irrelevant  to 
adduce  passages  to  prove  that  God  often  revealed  His  will 
to  Moses  by  visions  and  pictorial  representations,  a  fact 
which  none  denies ;  the  present  question  being,  is  there  any- 
thing in  the  passage  or  the  context,  that  would  lead  us  to 
infer,  that  the  several  acts  of  creation  were  placed  before 
him  in  vision?  Besides,  as  we  shall  afterwards  endeavour 
to  show,  this  theory  leads  to  no  satisfactory  solution  of  the 
difficulty :  as  there  is  no  strict  resemblance  between  the 
order  of  creation  as  described  by  Moses,  or,  as  they  would 
say,  as  seen  by  Moses  in  vision,  and  the  order  as  disclosed 
in  the  stratified  rocks. 

It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  Scriptm-e  always  describes 

^       natural  phenomena,  not  according  to  their  scientific  reality, 

but  according  to  the  appearances  which  they  present.     It 

*  Miller's  "  Testimony"   Lecture  Fourth — "  The  Mosaic  Vision  of 
Creation." 


INTERPEETATION  OF  SCRIPTURE.  87 

is  not  the  design  of  revelation  to  teach  the  trutlis  of  science: 
these  are  the  objects  of  reason,  and  not  of  faith.  Its  great 
purpose  is  to  reveal  the  will  of  (lod  to  us  His  creatures — 
to  make  known  the  riches  of  His  grace  through  Clu-ist 
Jesus  to, an  apostate  race.  Hence,  then,  when  Scripture 
touches  upon  natural  objects,  it  is  not  as  they  really  and 
scientifically  are,  but  as  they  appear  to  us  to  be.  Indeed, 
in  aU  books,  except  those  especially  devoted  to  science,  the 
same  method  is  adopted.  We  speak  of  the  rising  and 
the  setting  of  the  sun,  of  the  firmament  of  heaven,  and  of 
the  changes  of  the  moon.  There  is  truth  in  all  these 
descriptions,  not  scientific  but  optical  truth.  Thus  in  this 
first  chapter  of  Genesis,  natural  objects  are  described  as 
they  would  have  appeared  to  a  spectator,  supposing  that 
there  was  then  such  an  one  upon  the  earth.  It  speaks  of 
the  firmament  which  divides  the  waters  wliich  were  under 
it  from  the  waters  which  M^ere  above  it:  of  the  sun  as  the 
greater,  and  the  moon  as  the  lesser  luminary,  and  the  stars 
as  subordinate  to  either,  without  any  regard  to  their  rela- 
tive magnitudes.  "  The  historian,"  observes  Moses  Stuart, 
in  a  work  written  expressly  against  geology,  "  everywhere 
speaks  as  an  optical  observer,  stationed  on  a  point  of  our 
world,  and  surveying  from  this  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
and  speaking  of  them  as  seen  in  this  manner  by  his  bodily 
eye.  The  sun,  and  moon,  and  stars,  are  servants  of  the 
earth,  lighted  up  to  garnish  and  to  cheer  it,  and  to  be  the 
guardians  of  its  times  and  seasons.  Other  uses  he  knows 
not  for  them ;  certainly  of  other  uses  he  does  not  speak. 
The  distances,  magnitudes,  orbicular  motions,  gravitating 
powers,  and  projectile  forces  of  the  planets  and  of  the  stars, 
are  all  out  of  the  circle  of  his  history,  and  probably  beyond 
his  knowledge.  Inspiration  does  not  make  men  omniscient: 
It  does  not  teach  them  the  scientific  trutlis  of  astronomv, 


V 


88  INTEEPEETATION  OF  SCEIPTUEE, 

or  chemistry,  or  botany,  nor  any  science  as  such.  Inspi- 
ration is  concerned  with  teaching  religious  truths,  and  such 
facts  or  occurrences  as  are  connected  immediately  with 
illustrating,  or  wdth  impressing  them  on  the  mind.  This 
is  the  object  and  extent  of  it:  and  to  assume  or  suppose 
that  it  goes  beyon  assigning  a  placed  this,  is  to  it  which  it 
was  never  designed  to  fiU."*  And  Calvin,  who  was  ignorant 
alike  of  the  discoveries  of  astronomy  and  of  those  of  geology, 
in  a  remarkable  passage  expresses  himseK  in  similar  terms, 
— "  It  is  well  again  to  repeat  what  I  have  said  before,  that 
it  is  not  here  philosophically  discussed,  how  great  the  sun 
is  in  the  heaven,  and  how  great,  or  how  little,  is  the  moon : 
but  how  much  light  comes  to  us  from  them.  For  Moses 
here  addresses  himself  to  our  senses,  that  the  knowledge  of 
the  gifts  of  God  which  we  enjoy  may  not  glide  away. 
Therefore,  in  order  to  apprehend  the  meaning  of  Moses,  it 
is  to  no  purpose  to  soar  above  the  heavens;  let  us  only 
open  our  eyes  to  behold  this  light  wliich  God  enkindles 
for  us  in  the  earth.  By  this  method  the  dishonesty  of 
these  men  is  sufficiently  rebuked,  who  censure  Moses  for 
not  speaking  with  greater  exactness.  For,  as  it  became  a 
theologian,  he  had  respect  to  us  rather  than  to  the  stars."f 
Upon  the  whole,  then,  we  conclude  that  the  language 
employed  by  Moses,  in  his  account  of  creation,  is  that  of  a 
real  narrative.  It  is  to  be  judged  of  as  such,  and  to  be 
examined  by  its  accordance  with  fact.  It  relates  what 
really  took  place,  and  not  what  was  merely  seen  in  vision, 
or  what  is  merely  stated  to  embellish  a  poem.  It  is  true 
that  there  was  no  human  eye  upon  the  earth,  to  see  and 

*  Moses  Stuart's  ^'■Philological  View  of  the  Modern  Doctrines  of 
Geology,"  pp.  45,  46.  Clark's  edition. 

t  Calvin's  "  Commentary  on  Genesis,"  vol.  i.,  p.  85,  86— Calvin  Trans- 
lation Society. 


MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  CREATION.  89 

describe  tlie  several  acts  of  creation  which  passed  before 
it :  but  they  are  described,  as  they  wouhl  have  been  seen 
and  described  by  an  individual,  supposing  that  such  an 
one  was  then  alive  upon  the  earth.  The  account  was 
revealed  to  Moses,  or  to  whomsoever  was  the  narrator,  by 
the  inspiration  of  God,  and  it  is  a  description  of  events 
which  actually  took  place. 

II.  The  second  point  to  be  determined  is  the  meaning 
of  the  words  created  and  made,  so  frequently  employed  in 
the  sacred  narrative  of  creation. 

There  are  two  different  Hebrew  words  employed  in  the 
passage,  and  which  are  rendered  by  our  translators,  indis- 
criminately, created  or  made.  The  one  word  hara  is  a 
stronger  term  than  the  other,  and  is  used  in  the  first  verse 
to  denote  the  creation  of  heaven  and  earth :  the  other  word 
asah  is  a  weaker  term,  and  is  used  in  the  fourth  command- 
ment to  denote  the  making  of  heaven  and  earth  in  the 
space  of  six  days.  They  correspond  with  our  English 
words  created  and  made.  The  second  term  appears  always 
to  denote  a  new  arrangement  of  existing  materials,  rather 
than  a  proper  creation  from  nothing:  but  even  the  first 
term,  as  the  word  created  with  us,  is  indefinite,  and  its 
sense  can  only  be  determined  from  the  meaning  of  the 
passage  in  which  it  occurs.* 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  repeat  the  proofs  which  geo- 
logy affords  of  the  existence  of  the  earth  long  anterior  to 
the  period  of  the  creation  of  man.     This  is  a  demonstrated 

*  The  term  bara  is  employed,  not  merely  to  denote  the  original  crea- 
tion of  heaven  and  earth,  but  also  the  formation  of  man  out  of  the  dust 
of  the  ground.  (Gen.  i.  27.)  In  the  first  verse  it  evidently  denotes  a 
bringing  into  existence,  a  creation  out  of  nothing,  and  not  a  mere  arrange- 
ment of  previously  existing  materials:  for  in  the  second  verse  we  read 
that  the  earth,  which  had  been  created,  was  without  form  and  void. 

F 


90  MEANING  OF  THE  WOED  CEEATION. 

fact  of  science,  which  can  now  neither  be  doubted  nor 
called  in  question.  Certainly,  thousands,  and  in  all  proba- 
bility, millions  of  years  before  man  was  created,  this  world 
existed,  and  was  the  abode  of  living  creatures.  But  what 
we  would  here  observe  is,  that  this  is  in  entire  harmony 
with  the  Mosaic  record  of  creation.  The  first  verse  of 
Genesis  stands  forth  as  an  independent  proposition,  and 
asserts  the  time  of  creation  indefinitely,  as  "  in  the  begin- 
ning." There  is  from  Scripture  no  reason  to  object  to  the 
intei-vention  of  ages  between  this  original  creation  and  the 
arrangement  of  the  earth,  in  its  present  form,  in  the  space 
of  six  days. 

The  only  plausible  objection  which  has  been  brought 
against  this  view  of  the  subject,  is  the  force  of  the  con- 
necting particle  and,  which  unites  the  first  with  the  second 
verse  of  Genesis,  and  from  which  it  is  inferred  that  there 
is  an  immediate  sequence :  "  In  the  beginning  God  created 
the  heaven  and  the  earth.  And  the  earth  was  without 
form  and  void."  But  there  is  here  no  order  of  sequence 
laid  down ;  the  particle  here  rendered  and  is  merely  the 
connecting  particle  of  the  Hebrew  language,  which,  however, 
does  not  determine  the  mode  of  the  connection.  "  It  may  be 
copulative,  or  disjunctive,  or  adversative ;  or  it  may  express 
a  mere  annexation  to  a  former  topic  of  discourse,  the  con- 
nection being  only  that  of  the  subject-matter,  or  the 
continuation  of  the  composition.  This  continuative  use 
forms  one  of  the  most  marked  peculiarities  of  the  Hebrew 
idiom ;  and  it  comprehends  every  variety  of  mode  in  which 
one  train  of  sentiment  may  be  appended  to  another."* 
Hence,  then,  the  value  and  meaning  of  this  particle  is 
extremely  manifold,  and  it  may  be  very  differently  trans- 

*  Smith's  "  Geology  and  Scripture^"  page  248.    Bohn's  edition. 


MEANING  OF  THE  WOED  CREATION.  91 

lated  in  various  passages.  In  our  Euglisli  translation  it  is 
usually  rendered  by  the  copulative  conjunction  and,  but 
this  is  not  always  the  meaning  which  is  there  given  to  it. 
It  is  also  frequently  rendered  by  the  conjunctions  hut,  now, 
thus,  also,  &c.  In  the  passage  under  consideration,  it  has 
been  differently  translated  by  learned  critics.  One  mean- 
ing given  to  it,  which  has  met  with  the  most  favourable 
acceptance  among  biblical  scholars,  is  that  of  the  elder  Ros- 
enniiiller,  who  renders  it  by  the  particle  afterwards :  "  In 
tlie  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth :  after- 
wards the  earth  was  without  form  and  void."  If  this 
be  the  true  translation,  the  passage  not  only  allows,  but 
demands  a  period  intervening  between  the  creation  of 
heaven  and  earth,  and  the  chaos  to  whicli  the  earth  was 
reduced.* 

We  conclude,  then,  that  the  terms  rendered  created  or 
made  in  the  Mosaic  description  of  tlie  six  days'  work, 
exclusive  of  the  first  verse,  signify,  not  the  original  creation 
of  aU  the  tilings  there  mentioned  out  of  nothing,  but  a 
new  arrangement  or  remodelling  of  previously  existing 
materials.  This  must  be  the  true  meaning  of  the  terms 
independently  of  the  deductions  of  geology,  or  the  views 
which  we  may  take  of  that  science.  No  one  now,  since 
the  discoveries  of  astronomy,  can  believe  that  the  sun 
and  moon  and  stars  were  created  out  of  nothing  less  than 

*  Pye  Smith  remarks  that  to  go  no  farther  than  the  tirst  two  leaves  of 
the  Hebrew  Bible,  we  find  this  copula  rendered  in  our  authorized  version 
by  thus,  hut,  now,  and  also.  Dr.  Dathe  of  Leipzig,  renders  the  first  two 
verses  in  this  manner — "In  the  beginning,  God  created  the  heaven  and 
the  earth.  But  afterwards  the  earth  became  waste  and  desolate."  "  The 
general  sense  of  the  verse,"  says  Moses  Stuart,  "  would  not  be  materially 
injured  by  translating  it  thus — '  afterwards  the  earth  was  without  form."" 
Upon  the  whole,  we  regard  the  objection  as  very  trifling:  even  our  f)wii 
conjunction  "  and  "  does  not  always  signify  immediate  secjuencc. 


92  THE  CREATIVE  DAYS : 

six  thousand  years  ago,  and  yet  the  making  of  these  is 
described  as  being  a  part  of  the  fourth  day's  work.  In  the 
first  day,  we  read  of  light  being  called  into  existence:  at 
that  period,  the  sun  must  have  existed,  and  therefore 
even  those  who  suppose  that  indefinite  periods  are  denoted 
by  the  term  days,  must  grant  the  existence  of  the  sun 
before  the  fourth  day.  Matter,  then,  was  created  out  of 
nothing  "  in  the  beginning," — at  some  far  distant  period  in 
the  past.  Then  the  heaven  and  the  earth  were  called  into 
existence.  Tliis  world,  we  know  from  geology,  was  the 
abode  of  different  creations  for  ages  upon  ages  before  the 
creation  of  man.  To  this  fact  of  science  there  is  nothing 
at  variance  in  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Afterwards,  in  the 
space  of  six  days,  the  world  was  put  into  its  present  form: 
its  materials  were  re-arranged;  its  form  was  readjusted; 
and  it  was  constituted  the  abode  of  man.  It  is  in  this 
sense  that  we  understand  the  declaration  of  the  fourth 
commandment.  "  In  six  days  the  Lord  made  (asah)  heaven 
and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is  " — that  is,  did 
not  create  them  out  of  nothing,  but  Tnade  or  arranged  them 
in  their  present  form. 

III.  Our  third  inquiry  is,  Wliat  is  the  meaning  of  the 
term  day  in  the  description  by  Moses  of  the  six  creative 
days?  Now,  there  are  here  two  views,  each  of  wdiich  has 
been  adopted  and  defended  by  learned  men :  some  regard 
the  six  days  of  creation  as  periods  of  indefinite  length,  and 
others  consider  them  as  natural  days. 

The  theory  of  indefinite  periods,  as  it  has  been  termed, 
was  formerly  maintained  by  several  distinguished  geo- 
logists, when  the  science  of  geology  was  not  in  so  advanced 
a  state  as  at  present;  and  after  having  been  for  a  time 
abandoned,  it  has  recently  been  revived  and  maintained 
with   much    ingenuity   and   ability.      The   distinguished 


THEOKY  OF  INDEFINITE  PERIODS.  93 

naturalist  and  geologist  Ciivier  was  an  advocate  of  this 
theory;  such  also  was  the  opinion  of  De  Luc,  Parkinson, 
and  Professor  Jamieson  of  Edinburgh  ;  and  in  more  recent 
times,  the  same  theory  has  been  advanced  by  Professor 
Sillimau  of  America,*  and  appears  to  be  maintained  by  the 
Eev.  Dr.  Anderson  of  Newburgh  in  his  interesting  and 
instructive  work,  "  The  Course  of  Creation."  This  theory 
proceeds  upon  the  assumption  that  the  days  of  the  Mosaic 
creation  are  not  to  be  understood  as  natural  days,  em- 
bracing only  twenty-four  hours ;  but  as  indefinite  periods, 
each  embracing,  it  may  be,  a  million  of  years.  Abundance 
of  time  is  thus  afforded  for  the  various  geological  creations ; 
for,  according  to  this  opinion,  the  world  was  in  existence 
for  five  long  periods  before  the  sixth  day,  when  man  was 
created. 

The  above  theory  has  lately  come  into  great  notoriety 
and  favour,  by  its  being  adopted  and  defended  by  Hugh 
Miller,  in  his  last  most  able  work.  He  takes  the  three 
great  palaeontological  divisions  into  which  geology  is 
arranged,  and  assigns  to  each  of  them  a  creative  day, 
although  the  days  are  not  taken  in  their  order,  the  fourth 
day  being  omitted.  "  The  geologist,"  he  observes,  "  in  his 
attempts  to  collate  the  divine  with  the  geological  record, 
has  only  three  of  the  six  periods  of  creation  to  account  for, 
— the  period  of  plants,  the  period  of  great  sea-monsters 
and  creeping  things,  and  the  period  of  cattle  and  beasts  of 
the  earth.  He  is  called  on  to  question  his  systems  and 
formations  regarding  the  remains  of  these  three  great 
periods,  and  of  these  only.  And  the  question  once  fairly 
stated,  what,  I  ask,  is  the  reply?     All  geologists  agree  in 

*  Professor  Silliman  advances  this  view  of  the  subject  in  a  treatise  on 
the  Consistency  of  Geology  with  Sacred  History,  published  in  1833  as  a 
supplement  to  tlic  American  edition  of  Bakewell's  "  Geology." 


94  THE  CREATIVE  DAYS : 

liolding  that  the  vast  geological  scale  naturally  divides  into 
three  gTeat  parts.  There  are  many  lesser  divisions, — divi- 
sions into  systems,  formations,  deposits,  beds,  strata:  but 
the  master  divisions,  in  each  of  which  we  find  a  type  of 
life  so  unlike  that  of  the  others,  that  even  the  unpractised 
eye  can  detect  the  difference,  are  simply  three — the  Palae- 
ozoic or  oldest  fossiliferous  division;  the  Secondary  or 
middle  fossiliferous  division;  and  the  Tertiary  or  latest 
fossiliferous  division."*  The  iirst,  or  Palaeozoic  division, 
chiefly  represented  by  the  Carboniferous  system,  he  refers 
to  the  third  day ;  the  second,  or  Secondary  division,  chiefly 
represented  by  the  Lias  and  Oolite,  he  refers  to  the  fifth 
day ;  and  the  third,  or  Tertiary  division,  represented  by  the 
Tei-tiary  periods,  he  refers  to  the  sixth  day.  In  another 
chapter  of  the  same  work,  he  carries  his  theory  still  farther, 
and  assigns  to  each  day  a  particular  geological  system  or 
formation.  "Tliese  (geological  days)  may  be  named  in 
their  order  as,  first,  the  Azoic  day  or  period ;  second,  the 
Silurian  and  Old  Eed  Sandstone  day  or  period ;  third,  the 
Carboniferous  day  or  period;  fourth,  the  Permian  and 
Triassic  day  or  period ;  fifth,  the  Oolitic  and  Cretaceous 
day  or  period ;  and  siodh,  the  Tertiary  day  or  period."-f- 

As  is  evident,  from  the  above  quotations,  the  advocates 
of  this  theory  have  endeavoured  to  support  it  by  geological 
arguments.  They  siippose  that  the  order  of  creation,  as 
described  by  Moses,  corresponds  with  that  developed  by 
geology.  At  first,  the  earth  was  in  a  fluid  state,  covered 
with  a  sea  and  without  inhabitants ;  then,  on  the  third  day, 
plants  were  created,  answering  to  the  abundant  vegetation 
of  the  Coal  measures ;  on  the  fifth  day,  the  waters  brought 
forth  moving  creatures,  answering  to  the  gigantic  reptiles 
of  the  Lias  and  Oolite ;  on  the  sixth  day,  the  beasts  of  the 

*  Miixer's  "  Testimony  of  the  Rocks,"  pp.  134,  135.         f  Ibid,  p.  175. 


THEORY  OF  INDEFINITE  PEEIODS.  95 

earth  were  created,  answering  to  the  mammalia  of  the  Ter- 
tiary; and  last   of  all,  man  was  called  into  existence* 
The  resemblance,  however,  between  the  order  of  creation  as 
developed  by  geology,  and  that  laid  down  in  Scripture  is 
more  fanciful  than  real;  at  least  no  such  order  can  be  dis- 
covered on  an  examination  of  the  stratified  deposits.     Ac- 
cording to  Genesis,  plants  were  created  on  the  third  day, 
and  animals  not  until  the  fifth :  but,  according  to  geology, 
animals  and  plants  are  discovered  together  as  contempora- 
neous in  the  lowest  fossiliferous  strata ;  and  numerous  for- 
mations had  passed  away,  long  cycles  of  ages  had  elapsed, 
before  the  Carboniferous  system  was  deposited ;  the  trilo- 
bites  of  the  Silurian  and  the  fish  of  the  Old  Red  Sandstone 
existed  before  the  flora  of  the  Coal  measures.    We  are  also 
told  that  the  sun  did  not  appear  until  the  fourth  day,  a 
statement  perfectly  in  accordance  with  the  idea  that  the 
days  are  natural  periods ;  but  at  variance  with  the  theory 
of  indefinite  periods,  which  would  suppose  that,  for  long 
preceding  ages,  the  sun  had  never  once  shone  upon  the 
earth,  t   Besides,  according  to  this  theory,  Moses  describes 
not  the  creation  of  present  plants  and  animals  which  now 
exist,  but  of  those  which  have  for  ages  been  extinct ;  for 
not  a  single  plant  of  the  Carboniferous  system,  not  a  single 
animal  of  the  Oolite  now  survives.   But  who  can  admit  the 
truth  or  probability  of  this?    Why  should  Moses  describe 

*  Cuvier  asserts  that  "  the  cosmogony  of  Moses  assigns  to  the  epochs 
of  creation  precisely  the  same  order  as  that  which  has  been  deduced  from 
geological  considerations:"  and  Professor  Jamieson  of  Edinburgh  has 
endeavoiued  to  exhibit  the  correspondence  in  detail. 

•f  Birds  are  mentioned  as  having  been  created  on  the  fifth  day,  that  is, 
according  to  this  theory,  during  the  deposition  of  the  Lias  and  Oolite; 
but  very  few  of  their  remains  are  found  in  the  fossiliferous  rocks.  Their 
footprints  have  been  discovered  in  the  Triassic;  and  it  is  not  until  we 
reach  the  Eocene  beds  of  the  Tertiary  that  their  bones  have  been  found. 


^Q  THE  CEEATIVE  DAYS  : 

the  creation  of  extinct  species,  and  pass  entirely  over  those 
which  now  exist,  and  which  alone  are  connected  with  man? 
The  advocates  of  this  theory  have  also  attempted  to 
support  it  by  philological  arguments.     The  word  day,  they 
observe,  is  an  indefinite  term ;  it  is  often,  in  Scripture  and 
in  common  language,  used  to  express  a  period  of  vast  dura- 
tion ;  we  speak  of  the  day  of  grace,  the  day  of  salvation, 
the  day  of  human  life ;  there  is  then  no  philological  neces- 
sity of  restricting  the  term  to  a  duration  of  twenty-four 
hours.     But  this  argument  appears  to  us  to  be  wholly 
irrelevant.     It  is  very  true  that  the  word  day  is  an  inde- 
finite term ;  that  it  often  signifies  a  period  of  long  dura- 
tion; we  admit  all  that  is  demanded  on  this  point;  but 
what  is  gained  thereby?    The  question  is  not,  What  is  the 
meaning  of  the  term  in  other  passages?  but.  What  does  it 
mean  here?     Now  we  cannot  see  how  it  can  be  more 
plainly  affirmed  to  mean  a  natural  day.     In  every  one  of 
the  creative  days  the  Scripture  speaks  of  a  morning  and 
an  evening.*     And  besides,  we  have,  in  this  very  passage, 
a  definition  of  the  term  day,  which  corresponds  only  with 
the  supposition  that  a  natural  day  is  meant.     "  And  God 
called  the  light  Day,  and  the  darkness  He  called  Night.'' 
But  what  especially  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  days  of 
the  Mosaic  account  are  natural  days,  and  not  long  periods, 
is  the  reference  to  the  creative  days  in  the  fourth  com- 

*  The  advocates  of  the  theory  of  indefinite  periods  endeavour  to  found 
an  argument  on  Gen.  ii.  4,  "  These  are  the  generations  of  the  heavens 
and  of  the  earth  when  they  were  created,  in  the  day  that  the  Lord  God 
made  the  earth  and  the  heavens."  Here,  they  observe,  the  term  day  is 
used  figuratively.  But,  as  Dr.  Smith  remarks,  "The  word  used  in  this 
place  is  not  the  simple  noun:  but  it  is  a  compound  of  that  noun  with  a 
preposition,  formed  according  to  the  genius  of  the  Hebrew  language,  and 
producing  an  adverb,  requiring  to  be  rendered  by  such  words  as  when,  at 
the  time,  after." 


NATUEAL  DAYS. 


inandmeut :  "  Six  days  shalt  tliou  labour  and  du  all  thy 
work.  For  in  six  days,  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth." 
Now,  according  to  the  above  hyi^othesis,  these  two  periods 
of  six  days  are  very  different ;  the  first  is  a  period  of  six 
natural  days,  but  the  second  is  a  period  of  indefinite  mag- 
nitude, in  all  probability  six  millions  of  years.  But  surely 
it  is  against  all  the  principles  of  sound  criticism  to  give 
two  such  different  meanings  to  the  same  word,  in  the  same 
passage,  unless  there  be  sometliing  in  the  construction  of 
the  passage  itself  which  necessitates  the  difference.  It  is 
true,  that  the  advocates  of  the  alwve  theory  endeavour  to 
surmount  the  objection  by  conceiving  the  Sabbath  or 
seventh  day  itself  to  be  a  long  period— the  period  of 
redemption ;  and  that  the  fourth  commandment  teaches  us, 
that  as  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth  in  six  periods 
and  rested  on  the  seventh ;  so  should  we  work  during  six 
periods  and  rest  the  seventh,  and  that  the  proportion 
between  these  periods  depends  on  the  difference  between 
the  natures  of  God  and  man.  But  such  an  interpretation 
is  evidently  unnatural,  and  made  only  to  suit  a  precon- 
ceived hypothesis. 

For  these  reasons,  and  for  others  that  might  be 
assigned,  we  conclude  that  the  term  day  does  not  mean 
an  indefinite  period.  Both  the  discoveries  of  geology  and 
the  principles  of  philology  seem  to  us  to  be  opposed  to 
such  a  meaning  being  assigned  to  it.  We  are  led,  then,  to 
believe  that  by  days  here  are  meant  natural  days— succes- 
sive periods  of  twenty-four  hours.  This  is  evidently  the 
obvious  and  natural  meaning  of  the  term  day  in  the  pas- 
sage under  consideration;  the  other  interpretation  is  ibrced 
and  unnatural.  At  the  same  time,  we  give  this  opinion 
with  diffidence,  and  are  far  from  asserting  positively  that 
the  theoiy  of  indefinite  periods  is  erroneous ;  on  the  con- 


98  MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  EARTH. 

trary,  we  fully  concur  in  the  remarks  of  Dr.  Hitclicock, 
who,  after  summing  ujd  the  arguments  for  and  against  the 
above  theory,  observes,  "Geologists  and  theologians,  for 
the  most  part,  prefer  to  regard  the  six  days  as  literal  days 
of  twenty-four  hours.  But,  generally,  they  would  not 
regard  the  opposite  opinion  to  be  as  unreasonable  as  it 
would  be  to  reject  the  Bible  from  any  supposed  collision 
with  geology."* 

IV.  In  the  fourth  place,  another  very  important  word 
remains  to  be  considered,  \A^iat  is  the  meaning  of  the  term 
"earth"  in  this  connection?  Now  here  also  there  are 
several  opinions,  which  require  to  be  discussed. 

A  very  common  theory,  once  almost  universally  adopted 
by  biblical  geologists,  and  still  resorted  to  by  men  of  great 
eminence,  as  the  solution  of  the  difficulty,  is  that  by  earth 
here  is  meant  the  whole  world — the  entire  globe.  This 
was  the  opinion  which  Dr.  Buckland  advanced,  although 
with  diffidence,  in  his  "  Bridgewater  Treatise,"  and  which 
Dr.  Chalmers  adduced  as  his  solution  of  the  geological 
problem.-f-  According  to  the  distinguished  advocates  of 
this  theory,  the  world,  which  had  for  indefinite  ages  pre- 
viously existed,  was  brought  into  a  state  of  disorder  or 

*  Hitchcock's  "  Religion  of  Geology"  p.  67. 

t  '*  The  detailed  history  of  creation  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis," 
says  Dr.  Chalmers,  "begins  at  the  middle  of  the  second  verse;  and  what 
precedes  might  be  understood  as  an  introductory  sentence,  by  which  we 
are  most  appositely  told,  both  that  God  created  all  things  at  the  first, 
and  that  afterwards,  by  what  interval  of  time  it  is  not  specified,  the  earth 
lapsed  into  a  chaos,  from  the  darkness  and  disorder  of  which  the  pre- 
sent system  or  economy  of  things  was  made  to  arise."  So  also  Arch- 
bishop Sumner  expresses  himself  in  similar  terms.  "  We  are  not  called 
upon  to  deny  the  possible  existence  of  previous  worlds,  from  the  wreck 
of  which  our  globe  was  organised,  and  the  ruins  of  which  are  now  fur- 
nishing matter  to  our  curiosity." — Sumnek's  "  Records  of  Creation"  vol. 
i.,  pp.  284,  285. 


buckland's  theory.  99 

chaos,  iiii mediately  before  the  creation  of  man;  all  former 
creations  of  plants  and  animals  were  destroyed;  and  in 
the  space  of  six  days  the  earth  was  reduced  to  its  present 
form,  according  to  the  order  laid  down  by  Moses,  furnished 
with  an  entirely  different  and  new  creation,  and  consti- 
tuted the  abode  of  man.     According  to  this  theoiy,  there 
was  a  universal  chaos,  a  total  extinction  of  previously 
(existing  plants  and  animals,  and  an  entirely  new  creation, 
an  introduction  of  a  completely  different  set  of  creatures. 
"  The  first  evening,"  observes  Dr.  Buckland,  "  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  termination  of  the  indefinite  time  which 
followed  the  primeval  creation  announced  in  the  first  verse, 
and  as  the  commencement  of  the  first  of  the  six  succeed- 
ing days,  in  which  the  earth  was  to  be  fitted  up,  and  peo- 
pled in  a  manner  fit  for  the  reception  of  mankind.     We 
have,  in  this  second  verse,  a  distinct  mention  of  earth  and 
waters,  as  already  existing,  and  involved  in  darkness ;  their 
condition  also  is  described  as  a  state  of  confusion  and 
emptiness,  {tohu  hohu),  words  which  are  usually  interpreted 
by  the  vague  and  indefinite  Greek  term,  chaos,  and  which 
may  be  geologically  considered  as  designating  the  wreck  and 
ruins  of  a  former  world.   At  this  intermediate  point  of  time, 
the  preceding  undefined  geological  periods  had  terminated, 
a  new  series  of  events  commenced,  and  the  work  of  the 
first  morning  of  this  new  creation  was  the  calling  forth  of 
lio-ht  from  a  temporary  darkness,  which  had  overspread 
the  ruins  of  the  ancient  earth."  ''•    This  theory  was  advanced 
at  a  period  when  the  science  of  geology  was  comparatively 
in  its  infancy;  it,  at  the  time,  came  in  conflict  with  no 
geological  facts,  and  was  perfectly  adequate  to  reconcile 
the  Mosaic  narrative  with  the  disclosures  of  science.     But, 

♦  BuCKLAKu's  '■'■  Bridgewater  Treatist,"'  vol.  i.,  pp.  23-26. 


100    EXISTING  SPECIES  BEFOKE  THE  ADAMIC  CEEATION. 

since  that  period,  farther  discoveries  in  geology  have  been 
made,  which  must  cause  this  theory  to  he  greatly  modified, 
if  not  entirely  abandoned. 

Although  there  has  been  a  great  variety  of  geological 
creations,  yet  the  point  at  whish  geology  at  present  tends, 
is,  that  there  never  has  been  a  complete  break  in  the  chain 
of  existence — that  these  creations  are  connected  together, 
so  that  a  few  of  the  species  of  one  formation  have  passed 
into  that  which  succeeds  it.  This,  indeed,  is  not  yet  fully 
demonstrated;  there  still  appears  to  be  an  almost  entire 
break  between  the  Permian  and  Triassic  formations,*  and 
between  the  Cretaceous  and  the  Tertiary.  But  be  this  as  it 
may,  it  is  certain  that  there  is  no  break  between  the  pre- 
sent formation  and  the  Tertiary  or  those  strata  whicli 
immediately  preceded  it.  Many  of  the  previously  exist- 
ing plants  and  animals,  instead  of  being  destroyed,  have 
come  down  to  our  day.  Indeed,  the  whole  series  of  the 
Tertiary  periods  are  arranged  according  to  the  greater  or 
lesser  number  of  existing  shells  which  they  contain. 
According  to  Sir  C.  Lyell,  the  numerical  proportion  of 
existing  to  extinct  shells  in  the  different  Tertiary  periods 
is  3^  per  cent,  in  the  Eocene  period,  17  per  cent,  in  the 
Miocene  period,  from  35  to  50  per  cent,  in  the  older  Plio- 
cene period,  and  even  as  great  as  from  90  to  95  per  cent, 
in  the  newer  Pliocene  or  Pleistocene  period.-f-  Nor  is  it 
only  shells  which  have  existed  before  the  Adamic  creation, 
but  several  of  the  present  species  of  plants  and  animals. 

*  The  Permian  formation  is  the  end  of  the  Palaeozoic,  and  the  Triassic 
is  the  beginning  of  the  Secondary  period ;  and  Professor  Ansted  tells  us 
that,  "  between  the  close  of  the  older  epoch  and  the  commencement  of 
this  (the  Triassic)  every  species,  both  of  animal  and  vegetable,  almost 
without  exception,  seems  to  have  been  changed." — "  Ancient  World,"  p. 
112. 

t  Lyell's  "  Manual  of  Geology"  p.  116,  fifth  edition. 


EXISTING  SPECIES  BEFORE  THE  ADAMIC  CEEATION.     101 

Of  plants,  Hunli  Miller,  in  his  "  Testimony  of  the  Eocks," 
mentions  the  common  Scotch  fir,  the  common  birch,  the 
common  oak,  and  the  Norwegian  spruce ;  and  of  animals, 
he  mentions  the  goat,  the  badger,  the  fox,  the  wild  cat, 
and  the  red-deer,  as  having  existed  thousands  of  years 
before  man  was  created.  There  is  no  break  of  existence, 
no  chaos  of  death,  between  them  and  tlie  present  creation. 
Thus,  then,  there  was  no  such  universal  chaos  over  the 
whole  world,  immediately  before  the  Adamic  creation,  as 
consisted  in  the  entire  extinction  of  all  previously  existing 
plants  and  animals ;  for  it  is  contrary  to  all  analogy  to 
suppose,  that  God  would  re-create  precisely  the  same 
organic  forms.  "  It  is,"  says  Hugh  Miller,  "  a  great  fact, 
now  fully  established  in  the  course  of  geological  discovery, 
that  between  the  plants  which  in  the  present  time  cover 
the  earth,  and  the  animals  which  inhabit  it,  and  the  plants 
and  animals  of  later  extinct  creations,  there  occurred  no 
break  or  blank,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  many  of  the  existing 
organisms  were  contemporary  during  the  morning  of  their 
being  with  many  of  the  extinct  ones  during  the  evening 
of  theirs.  We  know  farther,  that  not  a  few  of  the  shells 
which  now  live  on  our  coasts,  and  several  of  even  the 
wild  animals  which  continue  to  survive  amid  our  tracts  of 
hill  and  forest,  were  in  existence  many  ages  ere  the  human 
age  began.  Instead  of  dating  their  beginning  only  a  single 
natural  day,  or  at  most  two  natural  days,  in  advance  of 
man,  they  must  have  preceded  him  by  many  thousands 
of  years.  In  fine,  in  consequence  of  that  comparatively 
recent  extension  of  geologic  fact  in  the  direction  of  the 
later  systems  and  formations,  through  which  we  are  led  to 
know  that  the  present  creation  was  not  cut  off  abruptly 
from  the  preceding  one,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  it  dove- 
tailed into  it  at  a  thousand  different  points,  we  are  led  also 


102  PYE  smith's  theoey. 

to  know  that  any  scheme  of  reconciliation  which  would 
separate  between  the  recent  and  the  extinct  existences  by 
a  chaotic  gulf  of  death  and  darkness,  is  a  scheme  which  no 
longer  meets  the  necessities  of  the  case."  * 

Accordingly,  another  scheme  of  reconciliation  has  been 
advanced,  in  order  to  remove  this  difficulty,  by  one  who, 
more  than  any  other  man,  united  in  himself  the  qualifica- 
tions of  an  accomplished  geologist  and  a  profound  theolo- 
gian ;  we  allude  to  Dr.  Pye  Smith.  He  supposes  that  by 
the  term  earth  is  not  meant  the  whole,  but  a  portion  of 
the  world;  and  he  endeavours  by  philological  arguments 
to  prove  that  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  term  in  the  Mosaic 
narrative  of  the  six  days'  work.-j-  "  Considering,"  says  he, 
"  all  the  evidence  of  the  case,  I  can  find  no  reason  against 
our  regarding  the  word,  subsequently  to  the  first  verse, 
and  throughout  the  whole  description  of  the  six  days,  as 
designed  to  express  the  yart  of  our  world  which  God  was 
adapting  for  the  dwelling  of  man,  and  the  animals  con- 
nected with  him."  And  the  narrative  of  the  six  days' 
work  he  considers  to  be  "  a  description,  in  expressions 
adapted  to  the  ideas  and  capacities  of  mankind  in  the 
earliest  ages,  of  a  series  of  operations,  by  which  the 
Being  of  omnipotent  wisdom  and  goodness  adjusted  and 
furnished  not  the  earth  generally,  but,  as  the  particular 
subject  under  consideration  here,  a  portion  of  its  surface, 
for  the  most  glorious  purposes."     And  this  portion  of  the 

*  Miller's  "  Testimony  of  the  Bocks,"  p.  121,  122. 

t  The  eulogium  which  Dr.  Hitchcock  pronounces  on  Dr.  Pye  Smith  is 
most  just  and  merited.  "We  can  say  of  him,  what  we  can  say  of  verj' 
few  men,  that  he  is  accurately  acquainted  with  all  the  branches  of  the 
subject.  Eminent  as  a  theologian  and  a  philologist,  and  fully  possessed 
of  all  the  facts  in  geology  and  natural  history,  he  gives  us  his  opinion, 
not  as  a  young'  man  full  of  novelties,  but  in  the  full  maturity  of  judg- 
ment and  of  years."^ — Hitchcock's  "  Religion  of  Geology,"  p.  122. 


PYE  smith's  theory.  103 

earth  he  conceives  to  have  been  "  a  part  of  Asia,  lying 
between  the  Caucasian  ridge,  the  Caspian  sea,  and  Tartaiy 
on  the  north,  the  Persian  and  Indian  seas  on  the  south, 
and  tlie  high  mountain  ridges  which  run  at  considerable 
distances  on  the  eastern  and  western  flank."  This  portion 
of  Western  Asia,  the  cradle  of  the  human  race,  he  supposes 
"  was  by  atmospheric  and  geologic  causes  of  previous 
operation  under  the  will  of  the  Almighty,  brought  into  a 
condition  of  superficial  ruin,  or  some  kind  of  general  dis- 
order." Afterwards,  elevations  of  land  took  place,  and  in 
the  course  of  six  days,  this  district  was  prepared  by  a 
series  of  creative  acts  for  the  residence  of  man,  and  of  the 
several  plants  and  animals  which  are  peculiar  to  that 
region.* 

Sucli  is  an  outline  of  the  celebrated  theory  of  Dr.  Pye 
Smith.  It  has  since  been  defended  and  illustrated  by 
various  writers.*f-  We  have  not  space  to  enter  into  its 
details.  It  has  been  advanced  with  great  ingenuity,  sup- 
ported with  much  learning,  and  defended  with  remarkable 
candour  and  liberality.  The  restriction  of  the  term  earth 
to  only  a  portion  of  the  world  is  favoured  by  the  fact,  as 
is  now  agreed  upon  by  the  generality  of  biblical  geologists, 
that  a  similar  limitation  must  be  given  to  the  term  iri 
reference  to  the  deluge.     The  reduction  of  a  portion  of  the 


*  Pye  Smith's  ^^  Scripture  and  Geology" — p.  249-251.  This  work, 
however  much  we  may  differ  from  some  of  its  assumptions,  is  of  extraordi- 
nary erudition,  ingenuity,  and  ability.  The  distinguished  author  a])pears 
to  be  equally  at  home  in  philology,  theology,  and  geology.  It  is  cer- 
tainly the  best  work  on  Geology  in  its  relation  to  Revelation. 

t  In  particular,  this  theory  forms  the  groundwork  of  a  recent  publi- 
cation of  much  merit, — "  Geology  and  Genesis,  a  Reconciliation  of  the 
two  Records,"  by  the  Rev.  George  Wight.  London  :  John  Snow,  1857. 
Dr.  Pye  Smith's  theory  is  here  adopted  and  carried  out  to  its  legitimate 
consequences. 


104  PYE  smith's  theoey. 

earth  to  a  chaotic  state  is  in  itself  by  no  means  an 
improbable  hypothesis;  it  is  what  must  frequently  have 
occurred  in  past  geological  ages;  and  even  in  modern 
times,  we  have  an  example  of  it  in  the  effects  produced  by 
the  eruption  of  Skaptar  Jokul  in  Iceland,  in  the  year  1783 : 
and  Mrs.  Somerville  tells  us,  that  in  that  island  there  is  "  a 
low  valley,  a  hundred  miles  wide,  extending  from  sea  to 
sea,  which  is  a  tremendous  desert,  a  scene  of  perpetual 
conflict  between  the  antagonistic  powers  of  fire  and  frost, 
without  a  drop  of  water  or  a  blade  of  grass  ;  and  where  no 
living  creature  is  to  be  seen,  not  a  bird,  nor  even  an 
insect."* 

This  theory  of  restricting  the  six  days'  creative  work  to  a 
small  portion  of  the  earth,  if  otherwise  admissible,  certainly 
removes  the  geological  difficulty  which  attaches  itself  to 
the  other  interpretation  of  the  term  earth.  There  is  here 
ample  space  allowed  for  the  previous  existence  of  many 
of  the  present  species  of  plants  and  animals  ;  the  scene  of 
creation  is  restricted  to  one  definite  centre ;  and  whilst  it 
was  reduced  to  superficial  ruin  and  disorder,  the  world 
around  it  was  the  seat  of  animal  life  and  enjoyment.  We 
are  not  aware  of  any  geological  objections  which  militate 
against  it ;  indeed,  Hugh  Miller,  although  on  other  grounds 
opposed  to  it,  candidly  admits  that  this  scheme  "  certainly 
does  not  conflict  with  the  facts  educed  by  geologic 
discovery."-f- 

Still,  however,  we  are  far  from  asserting,  or  believing, 
that  this  is  the  true  key  to  the  understanding  of  the  Mosaic 
narrative — the  true  solution  of  the  question.  It  seems  to 
be  a  theory  adapted  to  the   present  state  of  geological 

*  Mrs.  Someeville's  "  Physical  Geography"  Vol.  I.  chap.  13.     See 
also  King's  "  Geology  and  Religion,'"  pp.  108-110,  fifth  edition, 
t  Miller's  "  Testimony  of  the  Rocks"  p.  131. 


THEORY  OF  A  NEW  GEOLOGICAL  ERA.       105 

science,  but  which  may  not  stand  the  test  of  future  dis- 
covery. In  short,  it  is  an  hypothesis  which  requires  confir- 
mation ;  and,  until  this  confirmation,  we  woukl  hesitate  to 
assert,  that  the  term  earth  in  the  Mosaic  narrative  of 
creation  denotes  only  a  portion  of  the  world.  The  descrip- 
tion given  us  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  appears  to  be 
too  magnificent  and  grand  to  admit  of  such  a  limitation  to 
only  a  small  portion  of  the  earth,  and  to  the  creation  of 
only  a  few  species  of  plants  and  annuals.  And  the  phrase 
employed  in  the  fourth  commandment  appears  to  be  too 
universal  an  expression  to  admit  of  so  restricted  a  mean- 
ing,— "  In  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the 
sea  and  all  that  in  them  is." 

Tliere  is  still  a  third  view  of  the  term  earth,  which 
intervenes  between  the  views  of  Dr.  Buckland  and  Dr. 
Smith.  This  theory  agrees  with  Dr.  Buckland's,  in  sup- 
posing that  by  the  term  earth,  is  meant  the  whole  world ; 
but  it  differs  from  it  in  so  far  as  it  holds  that  there  was 
only  a  partial,  instead  of  a  total  destruction  of  previously 
existing  plants  and  animals.  Prior  to  the  six  Mosaic  days, 
according  to  this  theory,  a  geological  convulsion  or 
catastrophe  took  place,  co-extensive  with  the  earth,  when, 
probably  by  igneous  agency,  a  great  revolution  Avas  effected ; 
part  of  the  dry  land,  it  may  be,  having  subsided  below  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  a  portion  of  the  bottom  of  the  sea 
being  elevated ;  and  this  was  the  state  of  chaos  or  confusion 
mentioned  in  the  second  verse  of  Genesis,  where  it  is  said, 
that  "  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void."  But  by  tins 
geological  convulsion,  is  not  meant  that  there  was  a  total 
extinction  of  life,  a  destruction  of  all  created  beings; 
several  animals  and  plants  survived  the  convulsion, 
although  perhaps  by  far  the  greater  number,  not  only  of 
individuals,  but  of  species,  were  destroyed.   In  short,  there 

G 


106       THEORY  OF  A  NEW  GEOLOGICAL  ERA. 

was  here  the  termination  of  an  old  formation, — the  end  of  a 
geological  period.  Afterwards,  in  the  space  of  six  days, 
the  earth  was  put  into  its  present  form,  and  an  entirely 
new  creation  of  animals  and  plants  was  called  into  exis- 
tence. There  is  nothing  in  the  sacred  narrative  which 
would  lead  us  to  infer  that  such  a  creation  was  restricted 
to  a  particular  place  ;  there  is  nothing  which  prevents  us 
supposing  that  there  may  have  been  various  centres  of 
creation.  This  new  creation  consisted  in  the  present  race 
of  plants  and  animals,  except  those  which  had  survived 
the  geological  convulsion.  But  what  distinguishes  and 
exalts  it  above  all  other  geological  creations  is  the  intro- 
duction of  man  into  the  world, — a  being  formed  in  the 
image  of  God.  This  theory,  then,  whilst  it  meets  the  geo- 
logical difficulty  as  to  the  existence  of  several  of  the  living 
species  before  the  Adamic  creation,  does  not  necessitate  us, 
as  in  Dr.  Smith's  theory,  to  restrict  the  term  earth  to  a 
small  portion  of  the  world. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that,  in  all  probability,  there  have 
been  numerous  similar  destructions  and  creations  in  past 
geological  ages.  Although  it  may  be  true  that  each%rma- 
tion  is  connected  with  the  preceding,  by  having  several 
species  common  to  both,  yet  it  is  still  more  fully  ascertained 
that  each  formation  has  a  creation  peculiar  to  itself  At 
or  toward  the  close  of  one  formation,  there  must  have  been 
a  considerable  destruction;  at  or  after  the  beginning  of 
the  next  formation,  there  must  have  been  an  entirely  new 
creation."*^     An  example  will  best  illustrate  what  is  meant. 

*  Such  a  statement,  however,  it  is  to  be  obsei-ved,  would,  in  all  proba- 
bility, be  denied  by  Sir  C.  Lyell  and  the  Uniformitists.  According  to 
them,  the  introduction  of  new  species  was  gradual.  This,  however,  is 
contested  by  Professor  Sedgwick  and  other  distinguished  geologists. 
Professor  Hitchcock  observes,  "  that  a  new  creation  occurred  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  several  geological  periods  can  hardly  admit  of  a  doubt." 


THEORY  OF  A  NEW  GEOLOGICAL  EEA.       107 

There  are  a  few  species  discovered  which  are  common  to 
the  Old  Eed  Saudstone  formation  and  the  Carboniferous 
system;  but  still  each  has  a  creation  peculiar  to  itself; 
there  are  characteristic  fossils  which  never  penetrate  from 
the  one  into  the  other ;  when,  then,  we  pass  from  the  Old 
Eed  Sandstone  to  the  Carboniferous  system,  we  find  an 
extinction  of  numerous  species,  and  an  entirely  new  crea- 
tion of  other  and  different  species.  There  is  here,  then, 
what  we  may,  for  want  of  a  better  term,  call  a  geological 
catastrophe ;  a  chaos  or  extinction  on  the  one  hand,  and  a 
creation  or  renovation  on  the  other ;  the  fish  of  the  Old  Ked 
Sandstone  have  been  succeeded  by  the  fauna  and  flora  of 
the  Carboniferous  system.  Professor  Sedgwick,  perhaps 
the  most  cautious  of  our  English  geologists,  informs  us, 
that  the  changes  of  the  forms  of  organic  life  appear  to  have 
been  contemporaneous  with  changes  in  the  physical  world. 
"  The  greatest  changes  of  organic  types,"  he  observes, 
"  among  our  strata  are  connected  with  physical  revolu- 
tions." And  Elie  de  Beaumont  supposes  that  "  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  earth,  there  have  been  long  periods  of  compara- 
tive repose,  during  which  the  deposition  of  sedimentary 
matter  has  gone  on  in  regular  continuity;  and  there  have 
also  been  short  periods  of  paroxysmal  violence,  during  which 
that  continuity  was  broken."  "  The  appearance  of  moun- 
tains," remarks  Agassiz,  "  and  the  inequalities  of  the  sur- 
face resulting  from  it,  seem  to  have  coincided  generally 
with  the  epochs  of  the  renewal  of  organized  beings." 
So,  according  to  this  theory,  in  a  precisely  similar  manner, 
although  there  are  several  species  common  to  the  upper 
Tertiary  and  the  present  period,  yet  each  has  a  creation 
peculiar  to  itself;  there  is  an  extinction  of  many  of  the  Ter- 
tiaiy  species,  and  an  entirely  new  creation  of  many  of  tlie 
existing  species ;  we  pass  from  an  old  to  a  new  geological 


108       THEOEY  OF  A  NEW  GEOLOGICAL  EEA. 

formation ;  there  is  a  catastrophe  or  convulsion  at  the  end 
of  the  one,  and  a  new  creation  at  the  beginning  of  tlie 
other.  Man  and  the  greater  number  of  existing  species 
were  created  at  the  period  assigned  by  Moses. 

It  is  argued  by  an  influential  school  of  geologists,  that 
the  laws  of  nature  have  ever  been  uniform,  that  the  changes 
upon  the  earth's  surface  have  never  upon  the  whole  been 
much  more  violent  than  they  are  now,  and  that  geological 
catastrophes  or  convulsions  are  chimerical.  With  the  pro- 
foundest  deference  for  Sir  Charles  Lyell,  as  perhaps  the 
most  distinguished  of  living  geologists,  we  cannot  but 
think  that  he  has  carried  his  theory  of  uniformity  to  an 
unwarrantable  extent.  We  have  little  sympathy  with  the 
views  of  the  old  catastrophists,  but  still  we  regard  a  middle 
view  as  the  correct  one,  that  whilst  the  laws  of  nature  have 
upon  the  whole  been  uniform  in  their  action,  yet  that  at 
certain  periods  there  have  been  what  may  be  called  geo- 
logical catastrophes, — partial  destructions  of  existing  spe- 
cies, and  entirely  new  creations.  This  hypothesis  has  been 
adopted  by  Elie  de  Beaumont.  "  Each  revolution,  or  as  it 
may  be  termed,  frightful  convulsion,"  he  remarks,  "has 
fallen  in  with  the  date  of  another  geological  phenomenon ; 
namely,  the  passage  from  one  independent  sedimentary 
formation  to  another,  characterized  by  a  considerable 
difference  in  organic  types."  Such  appears  to  us  the  only 
theory  accounting  for  the  marked  differences  in  the  organic 
forms  of  different  formations.  Between  the  close  of  the 
Permian  and  the  commencement  of  the  Triassic  formation, 
"  every  species,  both  of  animal  and  vegetable,  almost 
without  exception,  seems  to  have  been  changed."*  A 
similar  almost  entire  break  of  existence  occurs  between  the 

*  Ansted's  '•'■Ancient  World" -p.  112. 


THEORY  OF  A  NEW  GEOLOGICAL  ERA-  10!J 

end  of  the  Chalk  formation  and  the  commencement  of  the 
Tertiary  periods.  At  the  end  of  the  Permian  and  of  tlie 
Chalk  there  is  also  abundant  evidence  of  the  most  extensive 
and  violent  igneous  action.  Here,  then,  are  two  examples  of 
what,  to  say  the  least,  are  very  like  catastrophes, — almost 
entire  extinctions  on  the  one  hand,  and  entirely  new  crea- 
tions on  the  other. 

It  is  further  argued  by  the  advocates  of  this  theory,  that 
there  is  evidence  of  such  a  geological  convulsion  at  the 
close  of  the  Tertiary  formation.  Not  only  was  there  an 
entire  extinction  of  many  of  the  then  existing  species,  but 
a  great  alteration  of  the  surface  of  the  earth.  An  immense 
change  in  the  temperature  took  place,  at  least  in  northern 
and  high  southern  latitudes.  A  comparatively  warm  climate 
was  succeeded  by  the  temperature  of  the  frozen  zone.  The 
land  in  Scotland  is  supposed  to  have  sunk  from  one  to  two 
thousand  feet.  Icebergs  and  glaciers  abounded.  The 
immense  boulders,  which  are  ^^found  in  this  country,  are 
evidences  of  the  intensity  of  the  cold,  and  of  the  power  of 
the  forces  in  operation.  It  was,  as  an  eminent  geologist 
terms  it,  an  age  of  extinction.  "All  this  while,"  he 
observes,  "  both  the  land  and  the  water  seem  to  have  been, 
for  the  most  part,  destitute  of  inhabitants."  How  long 
this  drift  period  continued,  geologists  have  not  ascertained ; 
but  it  is  certain,  that  it  intervenes  between  the  uppermost 
Tertiary  and  the  present  formation.  "  It  seems,"  says  Dr. 
Hitchcock,  "  that  a  time  was  chosen  for  its  operation  when 
the  globe  was  almost  destitute  of  organic  life,  and  not  long 
before  the  time  when  a  new  and  nobler  creation  than  those 
previously  occupying  the  earth  was  to  be  placed  upon  it."* 
The  advocates  of  the  above  theory  do  not  venture  to  affirm 

*  Hitchcock's  "  Religion  of  Geology,"  pp.  172,  173. 


110  NOT  PEEPAEED  TO  DECIDE. 

positively  that  this  is  the  chaos  mentioned  in  Scripture ; 
but  still  here,  at  a  period  comparatively  recent,  we  have  a 
season  of  destruction,  and  at  its  close  another  mighty  revo- 
lution, when  the  present  land  was  raised,  and  the  earth  was 
put  into  its  present  form. 

We  are,  however,  by  no  means  prepared  to  affirm  that 
the  theory,  which  would  identify  the  creation  of  Genesis 
with  a  new  geological  era,  is  a  true  and  satisfactory  solu- 
tion of  the  difficulty.  Like  the  theory  of  Dr.  Pye  Smith, 
it  is  an  hypothesis  which  deserves  candid  discussion  and 
contu'mation,  or  else  refutation.  One  great  objection  to  it 
is  that  the  number  of  existing  species  found  in  what  are 
supposed  to  be  deposits  of  the  newer  Pliocene  period,  and 
therefore  pre-Adamic,  is  very  large.  And  farther,  there 
are  appearances,  such  as  elevated  beaches  and  coast  lines, 
deltas,  channels  of  rivers,  &c.,  that  seem  rather  to  favour 
the  idea  of  a  period  of  rest  than  of  disturbance,  immediately 
before  the  Adamic  creation.  We  have  seen  that  Sir 
Charles  Lyell  estimates  the  time  taken  by  the  Niagara  in 
excavating  its  channel  at  thirty  thousand  years,  and  the 
time  taken  by  the  Mississippi  in  forming  its  delta  at  a 
hundred  thousand  years.  Similar  calculations  have  been 
made  by  him  and  other  distinguished  geologists  from  the 
inspection  of  other  natural  phenomena.  In  short,  we  are, 
as  yet,  too  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the  drift  period  to 
assert  any  thing  positive  on  the  subject. 

For  this  reason,  we  regard  all  attempts  at  the  discovery 
of  an  adequate  theory  of  reconciliation,  for  the  present, 
hopeless.  Geology,  as  a  science,  does  not  appear  to  be  in 
that  state  of  advancement  which  would  enable  us  to  apply 
its  deductions  to  the  Mosaic  narrative ;  there  are  still  several 
data  wanting ;  we  are,  in  particular,  ignorant  of  the  period 
immediately  preceding  the  present,  and  therefore  of  those 


NOT  PEEPARED  TO  DECIDE.  Ill 

facts,  which  it  is  essential  to  know,  before  we  can  form  any- 
satisfactory  theory.  There  is  avowedly  among  geologists 
an  ignorance  as  to  the  precise  state  of  the  earth,  immedi- 
ately before  the  present  creation ;  that  part  of  the  geologi- 
cal record,  so  to  speak,  is  written  with  strange  characters^ 
and  is  hardly  legible.  Until,  then,  we  are  able  to  know, 
with  some  degree  of  certainty,  the  geological  condition  of 
the  earth  immediately  before  the  creation  of  man ;  it  is,  we 
tliink,  impossible  to  assert,  whether  the  account  given  by 
Moses  agrees  or  disagrees  with  the  facts  of  geology. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  matter  must  still  be  left  in 
considerable  doubt.  Biblical  geologists  are  not  in  a 
position  to  attain  to  a  full  and  perfect  theory.  They  have 
been  employed  rather  in  removing  difficulties  and  destroy- 
ing false  theories,  than  in  advancing  any  thing  positive  on 
the  subject.  And  there  is  much  truth  in  the  remark  of 
Professor  Sedgwick,  that  BibUcal  geologists  "  have  prema- 
turely, and,  therefore,  without  an  adequate  knowledge  of 
all  the  facts  essential  to  the  argument,  endeavoured  to 
bring  the  natural  history  of  the  earth  into  a  literal  accord- 
ance with  the  book  of  Genesis."*  "  Geology,"  observes^ 
Dr.  King,  "is  but  feeling  its  way  to  the  formation  of  a 
complete  and  coherent  system.  If  in  its  present  state  it 
exhibited  an  apparent  accordance  with  our  interpretation 
of  Scripture,  new  difficulties  might  arise  from  subsequent 
geological  discoveries.  It  is  enough  for  the  present  that 
apparent  contradictions  are  becoming  less  prominent, 
while  possible  means  of  reconciliation  are  enlarging  on 
the  view."i-  And  hence,  we  are  still  constrained  to  adopt 
the  language  of  Dr.  Buckland,  however  unsatisfactory 
such  language  may  be  to  impatient  mmds :  "  It  must  be 

*  Sedgwick's  "DiscoMrse,"  Appendix,  p.  115.    Fifth  edition. 
t  Ki>'g's  "  Geology  and  Religion"  p.  107. 


112  SCIENCE  IN  HAEMONY  WITH  EEVELATION. 

cordially  admitted  that  the  season  has  not  yet  arrived, 
when  a  perfect  theory  of  the  whole  earth  can  be  fixedly 
and  finally  established,  since  we  have  not  before  us  all  the 
facts  on  which  such  a  theory  may  eventually  be  founded."* 

It  is,  however,  to  be  borne  in  mind,  that  our  ignorance  of 
the  true  method  of  reconciliation  between  the  facts  of 
geology  and  the  statements  of  revelation,  does  not  prove 
that  there  is  any  real  discrepancy.  Both  the  geological 
facts,  when  fully  demonstrated,  and  the  scriptural  declara- 
tions, Avhen  properly  interpreted,  are  founded  on  truth, 
and  cannot  possibly  contradict  each  other.  We  believe 
that  there  exists  a  reconciling  principle  between  them, 
although  from  want  of  data  we  may  not  be  able  to  discover 
it.  Meanwhile,  our  ignorance  ought  to  teach  us  caution 
and  patience,  but  ought  not  for  a  moment  to  lead  us  to 
imagine  that  there  is  any  real  contradiction  between 
science  and  revelation.  Some  of  the  theories  alluded  to  in 
this  chapter  do  not,  so  far  as  we  can  discern,  directly  con- 
tradict either  geology  or  Scripture ;  and  should,  therefore, 
teach  us  that  there  need  be  no  irreconcilable  discordance. 
We  are  far  from  affirming  or  believing,  that  any  one  of 
these  theories  is  the  true  solution  of  the  difficulty;  we 
merely  assert,  that  this  much  they  demonstrate,  that  in  the 
Mosaic  narrative  of  creation,  there  need  be  no  real  dis- 
crepancy between  the  facts  of  science  and  the  statements 
of  revelation. 

We  need  be  under  no  apprehension  that  true  science 
shall  ever  be  opposed  to  revelation.  The  word  of  God  is 
not  contradicted,  but  illustrated  and  confirmed  by  His 
works.  This  has  ever  been  the  case  in  past  ages ;  and  this 
will  ever  be  the  case  in  the  ages  to  come.     Scripture  does 

*  Buckland's  "  Bridgewater  Treatise,"  p.  12. 


SCIENCE  IN  HARMONY  WITH  EEVELATION.  1 1 3 

not  shrink  from  the  strictest  scrutiny,  nor  is  it  at  all  afraid 
that   any   discovery   of  science  shall   either  weaken  its 
evidence,  or  contradict  its  statements.     In  former   ages, 
religious  men  were  afraid  that  the  discoveries  of  astronomy 
were  at  variance  with  Scripture,  and  in  our  days  similar 
apprehensions  have  been  occasioned  by  the  discoveries 
of  geolog}'^ ;  the  apprehensions  to  which  the  astronomical 
discoveries  gave  rise  have  long  ago  subsided,  and  astronomy 
has  proved  herself  the  handmaid  of  revelation;  and  the 
same,  we  believe,  will  be  the  issue  of  those  apprehensions, 
occasioned  by  the  geological  discoveries;  nay,  we  affirm, 
such  abeady  ought  to  have  been  their  issue,  had  men  but 
dismissed  all  unreasonable  jealousy,  and  sought  after  the 
truth  with  candour,  honesty,  and  patience.     "  It  follows," 
says  Dr.  Pye  Smith,  "  as  a  universal  truth,  that  the  Bible, 
faithfully  interpreted,  erects  no  bar  against  the  most  free 
and  extensive  investigation,  the  most  comprehensive  and 
searching  induction.    Let  but  the  investigation  be  sufficient, 
and  the  induction  honest ;  let  observation  take  its  farthest 
flight ;  let  experiment  penetrate  into  all  the  recesses  of 
nature ;  let  the  veil  of  ages  be  lifted  up  from  all  that  has 
been  hitherto  unknown,  if  such  a  course  were  possible ; — 
religion  need  not  fear,  Christianity  is  secure,  and  true  science 
will  always  pay  homage  to  the  divine  Creator  and  Sove- 
reign, '  of  whom,  and  through  whom,  and  to  whom  are  all 
things;  and  unto  whom  be  glory  for  ever.' "* 

*  Smith's  "  Geology  and  Religion"  Bohn's  Edition,  p.  283. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

EXISTENCE  OF  DEATH  BEFOEE  SIN. 

One  important  point,  on  which  the  facts  of  geology  are 
supposed  to  be  at  variance  with  the  declarations  of  revela- 
tion, is  the  existence  of  death  among  the  inferior  animals 
before  the  fall  of  man.  It  is  the  common  notion,  that  the 
inferior  animals  were  made  subject  to  death  in  consequence 
of  the  sin  of  man, — a  notion  which,  we  believe,  is  still 
often  inculcated  from  the  pulpit,  as  if  it  were  derived  from 
the  word  of  God.  And  thus,  according  to  this  opinion, 
not  only  the  death  of  man,  but  the  death  of  all  living 
creatures  is  mysteriously  connected  with  the  sin  of  Adam. 
Before  the  fall,  it  is  supposed,  that  the  inferior  animals, 
like  Adam,  were  endowed  with  immortality;  pain  and 
death  were  unknown ;  there  were  no  venomous  serpents 
or  ravenous  beasts;  either  carnivorous  animals  did  not 
then  exist,  or  their  propensities  were  restrained,  and  they 
subsisted  on  the  herbs  of  the  field.  Eden  was  the  scene 
of  unbroken  harmony  and  peace,  the  wolf  dwelt  with  the 
lamb,  and  the  leopard  with  the  kid.  But  sin  marred 
all;  no  sooner  had  man  fallen,  no  sooner  had  he 
stretched  forth  his  hands  and  taken  of  the  forbidden 
fruit,  than  a  terrible  change  to  the  worse  take  place. 
The  natures  of  the  lower  animals  were  altered;  many 
became  ferocious, — many  which,  before  that  event,  were 


SUPPOSED  CHANGES  AT  THE  FALL.  115 

herbivorous  became  carnivorous,  and  death  for  the  first 
time  entered  the  world.  The  balmy  climate  of  Eden 
was  also  changed,  the  soil  lost  its  fertility,  and  the 
beauteous  flowers  and  rich  fruits  of  paradise  were  ex- 
changed for  the  thorn  and  the  thistle.*  The  supposition  is 
poetical,  and  highly  pleasing  to  the  sensitive  mind  which 
shrinks  from  suffering  and  pain.  At  first  sight  also,  before 
the  subject  is  attentively  considered,  it  seems  most  agree- 
able to  our  notions  of  the  beneficence  of  the  Creator.  And 
accordingly  to  it,  without  a  due  regard  to  their  tnie  mean- 
ing, these  expressions  of  the  apostle  have  been  supposed 
to  refer.  "  By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
death  by  sin."  "  By  one  man  came  death."  "  In  Adam 
all  die."  "  The  creature  was  made  subject  to  vanity,  not 
willingly,  but  by  reason  of  Him  who  hath  subjected  the 
same  in  hope."  "  The  whole  creation  groaneth  and  tra- 
vaileth  in  pain  together  until  now." 

In  this  chapter  we  propose  to  consider  this  subject  at 
length, — The  Existence  of  Death  among  the  inferior  ani- 
mals before  sin.  We  shall  attempt  to  show  that  this  fact, 
ascertained  by  the  discoveries  of  geology,  is  not  at  variance 
with  the  statements  of  revelation.    We  regard  the  opinion, 

*  Thus  we  find  a  modern  author  saying — "  When  both  the  beasts  of 
the  field  and  the  cattle  were  brought  into  the  garden  to  Adam,  that  he 
might  give  them  names,  the  distinction  between  wild  and  tame  animals 
would  not  exist.  The  change  to  the  worse  in  the  original  natures  of  so 
many  of  the  inferior  animals  was  part  of  the  curse  which  sin  entailed  on 
the  world,  and,  probably,  began  to  make  its  appearance  very  gradually, 
but  was  fully  developed  before  the  universal  deluge." — "  The  Creative 
Week,"  p.  326.  It  was  the  opinion  of  Calvin,  that  the  inferior  animals 
were  changed  to  the  worse  in  consequence  of  the  sin  of  Adam:  and  that, 
in  particular,  they  lost  their  gentleness,  and  became  savage  and  fero- 
cious: although  he  does  not  positively  assert,  that  they  became  carni- 
vorous.— Calvin's  "  Commentary  on  Genesis,"  vol.  i.,  pp.  132,  290. 
Calvin  Translation  Society. 


116  DEATH  BEFOEE  THE  ADAMIC  CEEATION. 

that  the  inferior  animals  were  subject  to  death  because  of 
sin,  as  wholly  erroneous,  as  uncountenanced  by  Scripture, 
and  completely  contradicted  by  the  discoveries  of  modern 
science. 

In  considering  this  subject,  we  shall,  first,  attend  to  the 
geological  fact — that  death  did  exist  before  sin :  we  shall, 
secondly,  prove  that  this  fact  is  not  contrary  to  the  state- 
ments of  Scripture:  and  we  shall,  thirdly,  endeavour  to 
show  that  death,  and  even  death  by  violence,  among  the 
inferior  animals,  is  a  benevolent  dispensation. 

I.  The  first  point,  then,  is  to  inquire  into  the  geological 
fact — that  death,  as  regards  the  inferior  animals,  did  exist 
in  this  world  before  sin. 

Geology  informs  us  that  myriads  of  ages  before  man 
existed,  animals  lived  and  died.  Their  skeletons  are  found 
entombed  in  their  rocky  sepulchres.  These  fossil  organic 
remains  are  so  numerous,  that  whole  rocks  are  almost 
entirely  composed  of  them.  The  mountain  limestone  group 
is  often  completely  filled  with  shells  of  particular  forms, 
and  by  reason  of  the  abundance  of  certain  kinds,  such  as 
the  encrinite  and  the  producta,  the  limestones  in  which 
they  are  contained  have  been  termed  encrinital  and  pro- 
ducta limestones:  the  nummulitic  limestone,*  of  which 
some  of  the  pyramids  of  Egypt  are  constructed,  is  entirely 
composed  of  chambered  shells;  and  the  chalk  and  the 
tripoli  are  said  to  be  only  a  conglomeration  of  microscopic 
shells.  Other  rocks,  it  has  been  proved,  are  entirely  formed 
of  an  almost  infinite  number  of  fossil  animalcules.*!"     There 

*  The  nummulitic  limestone  belongs  to  the  Eocene  period  of  the  Ter- 
tiary formation:  it  often  attains  a  thickness  of  many  thousand  feet.  It 
is  largely  developed  in  the  Alps,  Pyrenees,  and  Carpathian  mountains, 
as  well  as  in  the  North  of  Africa. 

t  In  the  chalk,  Mr.  Lonsdale  asserts  that  the  microscopic  shells  are 


DEATH  BEFOKE  THE  ADAMIC  CEEATION.  117 

are  also  uuraerous  remains  of  fish  and  reptiles  of  a  gigantic 
size.  And  not  only  are  these  animals,  whose  dead  bodies 
are  thus  found  in  the  rocks,  entirely  different  from  any 
which  now  exist,  but  there  have  been  numerous  systems 
of  creation  obviously  distinct  from  each  other.  Here,  then, 
is  death  in  a  gigantic  scale.  In  surveying  the  different 
formations,  we  just  pass  from  one  platform  of  death  to 
another.  And,  be  it  further  observed,  that  many  of  these 
animals  were  carnivorous,  and  were  provided  with  organs 
designed  to  enable  them  to  destroy  other  animals — with 
powerful  teeth,  and  sharp  claw^s,  and  strong  jaws,  thus 
declaring,  that  ages  before  man  was  created  death  and  death 
by  violence  was  in  this  world. 

We  cannot  resist  the  temptation  of  giving  an  extract  on 
this  subject  from  the  "  Testimony  of  the  Eocks,"  that 
learned  and  eloquent  work  of  the  late  Hugh  Miller.  The 
passage  is  long,  but  it  is  one  of  great  eloquence,  and 
exhibits  the  matter  in  a  clear  and  forcible  point  of  view. 

"We  are  told  by  Goethe,  in  his  autobiography,  that  he 
had  attained  his  sixth  year  when  the  terrible  earthquake 
at  Lisbon  took  place, — '  an  event,'  he  says,  '  which  greatly 
distm'bed'  his  'peace  of  mind  for  the  first  time.'  He  could 
not  reconcile  a  catastrophe  so  suddenly  destructive  to 
thousands  with  the  ideas  which  he  had  already  formed  for 
himself  of  a  Providence  all-powerful  and  all-benevolent. 
But  he  afterwards  learned,  he  tells  us,  to  recognise  in  such 
events  the  "  God  of  the  Old  Testament!'     I  know  not  in 

unutterably  numerous ;  in  a  cube  of  tripoli  rock  about  one-tenth  of  an 
inch,  500  millions  of  shells  are  contained;  in  a  cubic  inch  of  the  polish- 
ing slate  of  Bohemia,' there  are  41,000  millions  of  animalcules ;  and  in  an 
ounce-and-a-half  of  a  particular  stone  in  Tuscany,  10,454  microscopic 
shells  were  counted.  For  further  information  on  the  subject,  see  Buck- 
land's  "  Bridgewater  Treatise,"  Chap.  xii. 


118  DEATH  BEPOEE  THE  ADAMIC  CKEATION. 

what  spirit  the  remark  was  made ;  but  this  I  know,  that  it 
is  the  God  of  the  Old  Testament  whom  we  see  exhibited  in 
all  nature  and  all  Providence ;  and  that  it  is  at  once  wisdom 
and  duty  in  His  rational  creatures,  however  darkly  they 
may  perceive  or  imperfectly  they  may  comprehend,  to  hold 
in  implicit  faith  that  the  adorable  Monarch  of  all  the  past 
and  of  all  the  future  is  a  King  who  '  can  do  no  wrong.' 
Tliis  early  exhibition  of  teeth,  and  spine,  and  sting, — of 
weapons  constructed  alike  to  cut  and  to  pierce, — to  unite 
two  of  the  most  indispensable  requirements  of  the  modern 
armourer, — a  keen  edge  to  a  strong  back, — nay,  stranger 
still,  the  examples  furnished  in  this  primeval  time,  of  wea- 
pons formed  not  only  to  kill,  but  also  to  torture, — must  be 
altogether  at  variance  with  the  preconceived  opinions  of 
those  who  hold  that  until  man  appeared  in  creation,  and 
darkened  its  sympathetic  face  with  the  stain  of  moral 
guilt,  the  reign  of  violence  and  outrage  did  not  begin,  and 
that  there  was  no  death  among  the  inferior  creatures,  and 
no  suffering.  But  preconceived  opinion,  whether  it  hold 
fast,  with  Lactantius  and  the  old  Schoolmen,  to  the  belief 
that  there  can  be  no  antipodes,  or  assert,  with  Caccini  and 
Bellarmine,  that  our  globe  hangs  lazily  in  the  midst  of  the 
heavens,  while  the  sun  moves  round  it,  must  yield  ulti- 
mately to  scientific  truth.  And  it  is  a  truth  as  certain  as 
the  existence  of  a  southern  hemisphere,  or  the  motion  of 
the  earth  round  both  its  own  axis  and  the  great  solar  cen- 
tre, that,  untold  ages  ere  man  had  sinned  or  suffered,  the 
animal  creation  exhibited  exactly  its  present  state  of  war, — 
that  the  strong,  armed  with  formidal^le  weapons,  exquisitely 
constructed  to  kill,  preyed  upon  the  weak;  and  that  the 
weak,  sheathed,  many  of  them,  in  defensive  armour  equally 
admirable  in  its  mechanism,  and  ever  increasing  and  mul- 
tiplying upon  the  earth,  far  beyond  the  requirements  of 


DEATH  BEFORE  THE  ADAMIC  CREATION.  119 

the  mere  maintenance  of  their  races,  were  enabled  to 
escape,  as  species,  the  assaults  of  the  tyrant  tribes,  and  to 
exist  unthinned  for  unreckoned  ages.  It  has  been  weakly 
and  impiously  urged, — as  if  it  were  merely  with  the  geo- 
logist that  men  had  to  settle  this  matter, — that  such  an 
economy  of  warfare  and  suffering, — of  warring  and  of  being 
warred  upon, — would  be,  in  the  words  of  the  infant  Goethe, 
unworthy  of  an  all-powerful  and  all-benevolent  Providence, 
and  in  effect  a  libel  on  His  government  and  character. 
But  that  grave  charge  we  leave  the  objectors  to  settle  with 
the  great  Creator  himself  Be  it  theirs,  not  ours,  accord- 
ing to  the  poet,  to 

'  Snatch  from  His  hand  the  balance  and  the  rod, 
Rejudge  His  justice,  be  the  god  of  God.' 

Be  it  enough  for  the  geologist  rightly  to  interpret  the 
record  of  creation, — to  declare  the  truth  as  he  finds  it, — 
to  demonstrate,  from  evidence  no  clear  intellect  ever  yet 
resisted,  that  He,  the  Creator,  from  whom  even  the  young 
lions  seek  their  food,  and  who  giveth  to  all  the  beasts, 
great  and  small,  their  meat  in  due  season,  ever  wrought  as 
He  now  works  in  His  animal  kingdom, — that  He  gave  to 
the  primeval  fishes  their  spines  and  their  stings, — to  the 
primeval  reptiles  their  trenchant  teeth  and  their  strong 
armour  of  bone, — to  the  primeval  mammals  their  great 
tusks  and  their  sharp  claws, — that  He  of  old  divided  all 
His  creatures,  as  now,  into  animals  of  prey  and  the  ani- 
mals preyed  upon, — and  that  from  the  beginning  of  things 
He  inseparably  established  among  His  non-responsible 
existences  the  twin  laws  of  generation  and  of  death."* 
But  not  only  geology,  but  also  physiology  teaches  us  the 

*  Miller's  "  Testimony  of  the  Rocks,"  pp.  74-76. 


1 20  CAENIVOEOUS  ANIMAI;S. 

existence  of  death  among  the  inferior  animals  before  sin. 
Large  classes  of  existing  species  are  carnivorous ;  they  are 
made  with  the  design  that  they  should  live  upon  other 
animals,  and  with  this  view  their  whole  animal  frame  is 
constructed.  They  are  provided  with  peculiar  teeth  to  tear 
and  devour,  with  sharp  claws  or  talons  to  seize  their  prey, 
with  powerful  muscles  to  overcome  resistance,  with  stings 
to  pierce  their  victims,  and  with  a  digestive  apparatus 
appropriate  to  the  nature  of  their  food.  Indeed,  so  much 
is  this  the  case,  and  so  related  is  each  portion  of  the  ani- 
mal frame  to  the  whole,  that  a  skilful  anatomist  can,  on 
the  inspection  of  a  single  bone,  declare  whether  the  animal 
to  which  it  belongs  was  carnivorous  or  herbivorous.  By 
far  the  greater  number  of  carnivorous  animals  could  not 
possibly  exist  on  vegetable  food;  their  natures  are  so  con- 
stituted that  they  derive  nourishment  only  from  the  flesh 
of  other  animals.*  The  lish  also  which  inliabit  our  seas, 
and  rivers,  and  lakes,  do,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  all 
prey  upon  each  other.  Now  it  was  God  who  made  ani- 
mals so ;  it  was  He  who  designed  and  formed  them  to  live 
on  animal  food.  "  The  young  lions  roar  after  their  prey, 
and  seek  their  meat  from  God." 

Some  suppose,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  this  difficulty,  that 
carnivorous  animals  were  not  created  until  after  the  fall 
or  the  deluge ;  but  this  is  a  mere  gratuitous  assumption, 
for  which  not  the  slightest  proof  can  be  advanced.    Others 

*  "  The  anatomical  structure,"  says  Dr.  Pye  Smith,  "  of  the  larger 
part  of  animal  species  presents  demonstration  that  they  were  created  to 
live  upon  animal  food.  There  are  those  who  have  affirmed  the  contrary, 
and  have  supposed  that,  by  persevering  practice,  lions,  and  wolves,  and 
all  carnivorous  creatures,  might  be  brought  to  live  on  a  vegetable  diet. 
Every  physiologist  must  smile  at  this  monstrous  absurdity.  A  few 
species,  indeed,  are  omnivorous;  and  this  circumstance  has  misled  some 
persons." — Smith's  "  Geology  and  Scripture"  pp.  263,  264,  Bohn's  edition. 


CARNIVOROUS  ANIMALS.  121 

tin"  Ilk  that  after  the  fall  the  nature  and  strncture  of  these 
animals  were  completely  altered,  so  that,  whereas  they 
were  before  that  event  herbivorous,  they  were  then  made 
carnivorous.  "All  the  inferior  creatures,"  observes  a 
modern  expositor  Cf  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  "  were 
created  with  gentle  and  peaceful  dispositions.  A  great 
alteration  must  have  taken  place  in  their  natures,  before 
they  began  to  desire  other  food  than  what  was  at  first 
appointed  them ;  and  a  still  greater,  before  they  were 
visited  with  the  fierce  desire  of  preying  upon  one  another. 
At  first  these  instincts  and  appetites  of  tlie  lower  animals 
might  not  be  fully  developed.  The  springing  up  within 
them  of  wild  instincts,  not  before  felt,  would  inspire  them 
with  new  tastes  and  desires,  and  give  full  play  to  all  their 
bodily  energies.  The  new  dispositions  of  not  a  few  of  them 
led  them  to  destroy  and  devour  their  fellow-creatures ;  and 
their  great  strength,  now  exerted  to  the  utmost,  ensured 
them  complete  success.  And  the  very  circumstance  of 
their  drinking  warm  blood,  and  eating  raw  flesh,  would 
have  a  powerful  tendency  to  render  their  natures  more  and 
more  savage  and  cruel.  They  were  no  longer  herbivorous ; 
they  were  now  carnivorous  and  truly  wild.'*  But  it  is  suf- 
cient  to  oliserve,  in  order  to  refute  this  most  extravaa'ant 
hypothesis,  that  a  change  so  great  would  be  equivalent  to 
a  new  creation ;  a  herbivorous  animal  could  not  possibly 
become  carnivorous,  unless  almost  every  bone,  and  nmscle, 
and  tooth  were  altered.  In  short,  it  is  a  law  pervading  by 
far  the  greater  part  of  the  inferior  creation,  that  animal  life 
is  sustained  and  supported  by  the  dead  bodies  of  other 
creatures. 

If  we  attend  more  minutely  to  the  animal  economy,  we 


*  "  The  Creative  Week"  pp.  375,  376. 
H 


122  OEGANIC  LIFE  INVOLVES  DEATH. 

will  arrive  at  the  unavoidable  conclusion,  that  organic  life 
necessarily  involves  death.  In  the  vegetable  world  the 
plants  derive  their  nourishment,  in  a  considerable  measure, 
from  inorganic  matter,  either  from  the  atmosphere  or  from 
the  soil  on  which  they  grow.  But  it  is  entirely  otherwise 
with  animal  life.  It  is  supported  by  dead  organic  matter. 
Animals  do  not  live  on  air  or  on  dust,  like  plants,  but 
either  on  vegetable  or  animal  food.  Thus  then  there  is  a 
continual  circle  of  life  and  death;  by  death,  animal  life  is 
supported  and  sustained.  The  plant  withers  and  the  animal 
dies,  but  out  of  this  region  of  decay  and  death,  new  life 
springs  forth,  and  innumerable  living  creatures  derive  their 
nourishment.  Some  have  thought  that  animal  life  might 
be  entirely  sustained  by  dead  vegetable  matter ;  but  not  to 
mention  that,  if  this  were  the  case,  the  supply  of  food  would 
fall  short  of  the  demand,  this  hypothesis  would,  either 
not  remove  the  difficulty  as  to  the  necessity  of  death,  or 
w^ould  require  by  far  the  greater  number  of  living  creatures 
to  be  blotted  out  of  existence.  "  In  every  leaf,  or  root,  or 
fruit  which  animals  feed  upon,  and  in  every  drop  of  water 
which  they  drink,  they  put  to  death  myriads  of  living 
creatures,  whose  bodies  are  as  ^  curiously  and  wonderfully 
made'  as  our  own,  which  were  full  of  animation  and 
agility,  and  enjoyed  their  mode  and  period  of  existence  as 
really  and  effectively  under  the  bountiful  care  of  Him 
'  who  is  good  to  all,  and  whose  tender  mercies  are  over 
all  His  works,'  as  the  stately  elephant,  the  majestic  horse, 
or  man,  the  earthly  lord  of  all."* 

But  did  death  exist  in  the  paradise  of  God?  Did  beasts 
then  tear  and  devour  each  other  as  they  do  now?  Did 
Adam  in   paradise  witness   the   anguish,  and  pain,  and 

*  Smith's  "  Geology  and  Scripture,''  pp.  87,  88.     Bohu's  edition. 


DEATH  IN  PARADISE.  12o 

death  of  the  inferior  animals  ?  Would  jou  rob  Eden  of  its 
immortality  and  its  bliss?  But  there  is  nothing  whatevei 
in  the  scriptural  description  of  paradise,  unless  it  be  a  few 
remote  references  to  be  afterwards  adverted  to,  that  would 
lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  lower  animals  were  endowed 
with  the  same  privilege  of  immortality  as  man.  The  tree 
of  life  was  expressly  planted  and  provided  for  Adam ;  but 
we  read  of  no  tree  of  life  to  which  the  lower  animals  might 
repair,  and  eat,  and  live  for  ever ;  we  read  of  no  promise  of 
life  or  threatening  of  death  made  to  them,  nor  of  any  con- 
nexion between  their  death  and  the  eating  of  the  forbidden 
fruit  by  man.  And  therefore  w^e  have  no  hesitation  in 
affirming,  supported  as  we  are  by  science  and  uncontra- 
dicted by  Scripture,  however  opposed  it  maybe  to  prevalent 
opinion,  and  however  at  variance  it  may  be  with  our  pre- 
conceived notions  of  the  primeval  state  of  the  world,  that 
even  before  the  fall,  beasts  tore  and  devoured  each  other 
as  now, — that  then  as  now  the  lower  creation  was  divided 
into  animals  of  prey  and  animals  preyed  upon, — and  that 
then  as  now  there  existed  the  ravenous  lion,  the  ferocious 
tiger,  and  the  venomous  serpent, — and  that  then  as  now 
there  was,  as  regards  the  lower  animals,  a  constant  circle 
of  life  and  death.* 

And  now,  let  us  observe,  in  passing,  what  great  light 
this  fact  of  the  existence  of  death  in  paradise,  as  regards 
the  lower  animals,  casts  upon  the  trial  of  obedience  and 
the  threatening  of  disobedience  proposed  to  our  first 
parents.  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof,"  said  God  tc) 
Adam,  "  thou  shalt  surely  die."  Death  was  the  penalty 
of  disobedience ;  but  if  there  were  no  death  in  paradise,  if 

*  Some  suppose  that  ravenous  animals  were  excluded  from  the  small 
region  or  district  of  the  earth  which  constituted  paradise:  to  this  no 
objection  can  be  urged,  except  that  it  is  a  mere  gratuitous  .supposition. 


1  2-t  SCRIPTURAL  STATEMENTS. 

the  inferior  animals  were  immortal,  Adam  would  have 
remained  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the  penalty ;  whereas, 
witnessing  the  pangs  of  death  in  the  inferior  animals, 
seeing  the  agonies  of  dissolution,  he  would  not  only  under- 
stand what  was  meant  by  death,  but  would  feel  it  to  be  a 
truly  awful  calamity.  He  was  created  superior  to  the  lower 
animals,  not  merely  in  being  possessed  of  a  rational  soul, 
but  also  in  being  honoured  with  immortality,  whilst  they 
were  subject  to  death.  This  glorious  distinction, however,  he 
forfeited  when  he  fell ;  he  reduced  himself  to  the  same  level 
with  the  beasts  which  perish,  in  becoming  like  them  subject 
to  death;  and,  as  regards  his  immortal  soul,  subject  to  a  yet 
deeper  degradation,  the  greatness  of  which  eternity  only  can 
disclose.  "  The  wages  of  sin,"  the  punishment  threatened 
to  disobedience,  "  is  death," — a  curse  indeed,  since  it  de- 
prived man  of  immortality,  the  peculiar  privilege  of  his 
race,  and  exposed  him  to  the  wrath  of  his  offended  Creator. 

II.  The  second  point  is  to  prove  that  this  ascertained 
fact  of  geology,  the  existence  of  death  among  the  inferior 
animals  before  sin,  is  not  contradicted  hy  the  statements  of 
revelation. 

This  we  conceive  is  a  point  which  is  very  easily  made 
out ;  for  nowhere  does  the  Scripture  teach  us  directly,  and 
it  is  only  by  a  forced  interpretation  that  it  is  supposed  to 
teach  us  indirectly,  that  the  death  of  the  inferior  animals 
was  a  consequence  of  the  sin  of  man.  If  we  carefuUy 
read  over  the  description  given  us  of  paradise  in  the  second 
and  third  chapters  of  Genesis,  we  will  find  not  the  least 
hint  that  the  lower  animals  were  at  first  immortal.  And 
there  seems  a  fitness  in  immortality  being  restricted  to  that 
class  of  creatures  who  alone  were  endowed  with  reason  and 
a  capacity  for  religion. 

Some  expressions  in  the  sentences  pronounced  after  the 


SENTENCES  PRONOUNCED  AFTER  THE  FALL.  125 

fall  are  supposed  to  favour  the  notion  that  the  inferior 
animals  suffered  as  well  as  man.  Thus  the  curse  pro- 
nounced upon  the  serpent,  that  it  would  go  upon  its  belly 
and  eat  dust  all  the  days  of  its  life,  is  thought  by  some  to 
teach,  that,  after  the  fall,  the  nature  of  that  animal  was 
changed ;  but,  not  to  mention  that  this  curse  is  expressly 
limited  to  the  serpent,  and  cannot  without  violence  be 
applied  to  other  creatures,  it  is  evident  from  the  narrative 
that  it  was  pronounced  upon  the  one  great  Serpent,  the 
Tempter  or  evil  spirit.  It  does  not  concern  our  present 
argument  to  inquire  what  the  meaning  of  the  passage  truly 
maybe;  enough  that  we  show  it  has  no  bearing  on  the 
question  we  are  discussing. — Again,  a  part  of  the  sentence 
pronounced  upon  the  man  is  supposed  to  imply  a  change 
in  the  climate  or  in  the  nature  of  the  soil :  "  Cursed  is  the 
ground  for  thy  sake :  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the 
days  of  thy  life.  Tliorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring 
forth  to  thee :  and  thou  shalt  eat  of  the  herb  of  the  held." 
But  supposing  this  to  be  the  true  interpretation  of  the  pas- 
sage, yet  we  cannot  see  what  connection  it  has  with  the 
point  in  question;  a  supposed  change  in  the  climate  or 
soil  is  no  objection  against  the  death  of  animals  before 
that  change  took  place:  both  facts  may  be  consistently 
admitted  and  maintained. 

But  whilst  there  is  nothing  in  the  description  of  para- 
dise at  variance  with  the  notion  that  the  inferior  animals 
were  subject  to  death  before  sin  entered  into  the  world, 
there  is,  we  think,  something  in  its  favour.  Tlie  command 
given  to  be  "  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  fill  the  earth  and 
the  sea,"  pronounced  at  the  creation  of  those  animals, 
implies  a  succession  of  beings,  and  consequently  involves 
death.  The  law  of  reproduction  implies,  as  its  counterpart, 
the  law  of  dissolution.    If  animals  were  naturally  immortal, 


]  26  DEATH  THE  PENALTY  OF  SIN. 

they  would,  by  being  fruitful  and  multipljdng,  soon  over- 
stock tlie  world,  and  the  earth  would  not  be  able  to  pro- 
duce vegetable  food  sufficient  for  their  nourishment.  The 
same  command  was  indeed  addressed  to  man ;  but  we  are 
expressly  told  that  man,  before  h.e  fell,  was  immortal  and 
not  subject  to  death;  so  that  it  is  most  probable,  if  he  had 
preserved  his  innocence,  he  and  each  of  his  posterity,  after 
a  season  of  probation  on  earth,  would  have  been  translated, 
without  dying,  to  a  higher  state  of  being. 

There  are  also  some  expressions  in  St.  Paul's  epistles 
which  are  thought  to  teach  that  the  sin  of  man  was  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  the  inferior  animals.  Of  such  a 
nature  is  the  following  passage : — "  By  one  man  sin  entered 
into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin:  and  so  death  passed 
upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have  sinned."  But  the  state- 
ment is  here  expressly  limited  to  the  human  race;  it  is 
declared  to  apply  to  all  men  and  to  those  who  had  sinned : 
but  the  brute  creation  are  incapable  of  moral  obedience 
or  disobedience  toward  God,  and  therefore  death  to  them 
cannot  be  the  punishment  of  their  sins.  A  similar  state- 
ment is  made  in  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians: — "Since 
by  man  came  death,  by  man  came  also  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead.  For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall 
all  be  made  alive."  Here,  also,  there  is  an  express  limi- 
tation to  the  human  race — to  that  order  of  beings  who 
shall  be  raised  from  the  dead,  and  whom  Christ  shall  make 
alive — and  therefore  the  words  cannot  possibly  apply  to  the 
inferior  creation.  Another  passage,  much  insisted  upon,  is 
St.  Paul's  description  of  the  oppressed  creation : — "  The 
creature  was  made  subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but  by 
reason  of  Him  who  hath  subjected  the  same  in  hope.  We 
know  that  the  whole  creation  groaneth  and  travaUeth  in 
pain   together    until   now."      The    passage   is   e\'idently 


INTERPRETATION  OF  SCRIPTURAL  PASSAGES.  127 

obscure:    it    cauuot   be   proved   tliat    the   term    creation 
includes  the  lower  animals,— the  more  probable  meaning 
])eing,  that  it  is  restricted  to  the  human  race;  but  even 
although   it   should  be  so   extended   as  to  embrace   all 
creatures,  yet  it  does  not  assert  that  the  death  of  the 
inferior  creatures  was  caused  by  sin;  the  utmost  that  it 
asserts  is  that  they  suffer,  as  in  many  ways  they  do  by 
cruelties  and  oppressions,  from  the  sins  of  men.  As  regards 
those  passages  iii  the  prophets,  which  predict  the  happy 
and  peaceful  reign  of  the  Messiah  by  a  change  on  the 
propensities  of  the  inferior  animals,  so  that  from  being 
ravenous  and  venomous  they  became  gentle  and  harmless, 
it  is  evident  that  these  are  expressions,  conceived  in  the 
happiest  spirit  of  poetry,  denoting  the  great  moral  changes 
wliich  shall  be  eftected  by  the  prevalence  of  the  Gospel. 
"  The  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall 
lie  down  with  the  kid,  and  the  call;  and  the  young  lion, 
and  the  fatling  together;  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them. 
And  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed;  their  young  ones 
shall  lie  down  together ;  and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like 
the  ox.     And  the  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of 
the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the 
cockatrice'  den.     They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all 
my  holy  mountain;   for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea."* 

From  these  scriptural  passages  it  is  evident  that  death, 
as  it  regards  man,  is  a  very  different  thing  from  death,  as  it 
regards  the  lower  animals.  As  it  regards  the  lower  animals, 
death  is  merely  the  law  of  their  nature.     They  die,  because 

•  The  future  fate  of  many  ravenous  animals  seem.s  rather  to  be  to 
become  extirpated,  than  to  have  their  ferocious  natures  changed.  This 
will  probably  be  the  fate  of  many  of  them,  when  the  human  race  becomes 
more  civilised  and  more  numerous. 


128  DEATH  AMONG  THE  LOWER  ANIMALS, 

tliey  were  so  constituted;  their  existence  necessarily  and 
inevitably  leads  to  death.  With  regard  to  them,  there  is  no 
connexion  between  sin  and  death;  they  are  not  morally 
accountable  creatures,  they  are  incapable  of  moral  obedi- 
ence or  disobedience  toward  God.  But  it  is  very  different 
with  death  as  it  regards  the  human  race.  Here  it  is  inse- 
parably connected  with  sin.  It  was  sin  which  gave  birth 
to  deatli ;  sin  is  its  cause,  its  origin,  its  producer.  Man  as 
originally  created  was  endowed  with  the  high  privilege  of 
immortality;  if  he  had  remained  in  innocence,  he  would 
not  have  died ;  he  would  probably  have  been  translated  to 
a  higher  world,  like  Enoch  and  Elijah;  but  having  sinned 
he  has  become  liable  to  death.  And  this  death  is  always 
present  with  him.  The  lower  animals  are  ignorant  of  their 
fate ;  the  fear  of  death  does  not  trouble  them,  or  break  in 
upon  their  happiness.  But  it  is  not  so  with  man ;  he  knows 
that  he  must  die,  and  this  his  knowledge  often  makes  him 
wretched.  We  are  accustomed  to  regard  death  as  dreadful ; 
to  our  race  it  is  so,  but  not  to  the  other  creatures.  It  is 
sin  which  makes  this  great  difference;  it  is  this  which 
causes  death  to  be  such  an  alarming  event  to  man.  To 
the  human  race,  then,  the  cause  of  death  is  sin ;  but  to  the 
inferior  animals,  it  is  the  original  law  of  their  nature. 
"  By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by 
sin:  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have 
sinned." 

III.  The  tliird  point  is  to  endeavour  to  shew  that  death, 
and  even  death  hy  violence,  among  the  inferior  animals,  is 
a  benevolent  dispensation. 

Death,  as  it  regards  man,  is  a  punishment,  a  penalty ;  but 
death,  as  it  regards  the  inferior  animals,  is  no  penalty  what- 
ever, but  a  benevolent  dispensation.  At  first  sight,  indeed, 
it  seems  that  death  is  an  infliction;  and  more  especially 


A  BENEVOLENT  DISPENSATION.  129 

the  violeut  death  of  auiiiials,  the  existence  of  beasts  of  prey 
furnished  with  weapons  of  destruction,  is  supposed  to  be 
at  variance  with  unmixed  benevolence,  and  hence  it  is 
inferred  that  it  could  not  have  existed  in  a  world  of  inno- 
cence. But  this  arises  from  a  very  partial  view  of  the 
subject.  If  there  were  no  death,  or,  in  other  words,  if  ani- 
mals were  immortal,  even  supposing  that  such  a  state  of 
things  could  exist  in  conformity  with  the  laws  of  organic 
life,  it  is  evident  that  happiness  would  be  limited  to  a 
comparatively  small  number;  animals  could  not  possibly 
increase  and  nmltiply  as  they  do  at  present,  for  in  a  short 
time  there  would  be  no  room  in  the  world  to  contain 
them;  the  dry  land  and  the  sea  would  be  overstocked. 
Happiness,  then,  would  be  confined  within  narrow  bounds ; 
it  could  not  extend  beyond  the  limits  of  a  single  genera- 
tion. But  surely  it  is  much  more  agreeable  to  our  notions 
of  the  goodness  of  God  to  conceive,  that  He  should  com- 
municate happiness  to  many,  rather  than  restrict  it  to 
a  few.  Now  this  is  accomplished  by  a  succession  of  dif- 
ferent creatures.  When  one  race  of  animals  have  enjoyed 
their  existence,  they  give  place  to  another  race ;  and  thus 
the  pleasure  of  existence  is  multiplied  manifoldly.*     True, 

*  Dr.  Hitchcock  well  observes,  that  young  animals  enjoy  more,  in  the 
same  period  of  time,  than  those  more  advanced  in  age.  "  This,"  he 
remarks,  "  arises  partly  from  the  superior  health  and  vigour  enjoyed  hy 
the  young,  but  partly  also  from  the  novelty  of  the  scenes  presented  in 
early  life;  and  so  far  as  it  results  from  the  latter  cause,  it  proves  that  a 
succession  of  races  would  enjoy  more  than  a  single  race  continued  inde- 
linitely,  because  the  successive  races  would  always  be  comparatively 
young." — Hitchcock's  "  Religion  of  Geology"  p.  85.  See  also  some 
valuable  remarks  on  this  subject  in  Harris'  ^^  Pre- Adamite  Earth,"  part 
fifth.  "  A  world  of  immortal  animals  and  plants,"  he  observes,  "  a  world 
that  knew  no  climatic  change,  no  seasons,  no  organic  nor  inorganic 
variety — a  stagnant  and  unprogressive  creation — would  be  as  unsuited 
to  the  created  as  to  the  Creating  mind." — p.  225. 


130  DEATH  AMONG  THE  LOWER  ANIMALS, 

this  requires  tlie  introduction  of  death;  but  death  is  no 
great  evil  to  the  lower  animals.  It  is  merely  the  depriva- 
tion of  happiness  to  individuals ;  but  this  is  far  more  than 
counterbalanced  by  the  happiness  conferred  on  successive 
races,  and  diffused  over  so  immense  a  variety  and  multitude 
of  creatures.  There  is,  then,  under  the  present  system,  a  far 
greater  amount  of  happiness  conferred,  than  there  would  be 
on  the  hypothesis  of  the  immortality  of  the  lower  creation. 
But  some  do  not  object  to  death  itself  as  regards  the 
inferior  animals,  but  to  death  by  violence,  to  the  existence 
of  carnivorous  animals,  and  they  conceive  that  this  is  at 
variance  with  our  notion  of  unmixed  benevolence,  and 
hence  regard  it  as  being  one  of  the  evils  accompanying 
the  fall  of  man,  and  the  result  of  sin.  But  the  problem 
just  resolves  into  this,  What  kind  of  death  is  the  most 
beneficial  to  the  animal  itself,  or  to  the  animal  creation  in 
general, — whether  death  by  natural  decay  and  old  age,  or 
death  by  violence?  Now,  to  take  the  first  supposition,  it 
is  evident  that  a  brute  animal,  left  to  perish  by  natural 
decay,  is  placed  in  a  condition  of  great  misery.  In  human 
infirmity  there  is  the  assistance  of  a  man's  friends  to  alle- 
viate his  pains,  and  minister  to  his  necessities.  But  there 
is  nothing  analogous  to  this  care  and  tenderness  of  man 
for  man  in  the  lower  animals.  When  the  limbs  of  a  beast 
become  stiffened  from  age,  so  that  it  can  no  more  hunt  for 
its  food,  no  fellow  ministers  to  its  necessities;  when  its 
strength  fails,  no  assistance  is  afforded  to  supply  the  place 
of  its  activity;  when  its  senses  are  blunted,  no  relief 
is  administered;  and  it  must  either  perish  from  abso- 
lute starvation,  or  drag  out  a  miserable  existence,  from 
scarcity  of  food.  Even  in  our  domestic  animals,  when 
old  age  overtakes  them,  we  are  frequently  constrained 
to  put  a  violent  end  to  their  existence,   from   compas- 


A  BENEVOLENT  DISPENSATION.  131 

sion  for  their  sufferings.  But  on  the  other  supposition 
of  death  by  violence,  the  animal  is  in  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  health  and  vigour,  it  suffers  nothing  from  the 
infirmities  of  old  age,  and  its  life  is  taken  from  it  almost 
instantaneously,  and  in  general  without  much  pain.  Most 
of  the  carnivorous  animals,  it  has  been  ascertained,  endea- 
vour to  seize  their  victims  on  a  particular  point  at  the 
back  of  the  neck,  where  a  wound  of  the  spinal  nerve  causes 
either  paralysis  or  instantaneous  death,  and  apparently  no 
suffering  *  And,  besides,  beasts  are  not  troubled  with  fears 
and  anxieties  about  the  future;  they  enjoy  the  present 
hour,  and  know  not  what  awaits  them  the  next.  "  A 
hare,"  it  has  been  well  remarked,  "  notwithstanding  the 
number  of  its  dangers  and  enemies,  is  as  playful  an  ani- 
mal as  any  other."  And  farther,  we  do  not  think  that  we 
should  overlook  in  our  argument  the  positive  enjoyment, 
derived  from  this  system,  to  the  carnivorous  animals,  in 
the  pursuit  and  capture  of  their  prey.  Immortality,  then, 
being  out  of  the  question,  death  by  violence,  far  from  being 
inconsistent  with  the  goodness  of  God,  is  an  instance  of 
His  kindness  and  care  toward  the  lower  animals.  Food 
is  thus  aftbrded  to  the  beasts  of  prey,  and  their  victims,  by 
a  sudden  death,  are  saved  the  far  greater  and  more  pro- 
huiged  sufferings  of  an  uncared  for  old  age.-f 

*  Some  animals  of  the  feline  family  appear  to  form  an  exception  to 
these  remarks,  as  they  torture  their  victims  before  killing  them;  but 
even  in  these  instances  the  animal  preyed  upon  is  paralysed. 

t  The  argument  is  well  stated  by  Professor  Ansted,  in  his  "  Ancient 
World,"  and  he  arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  death  by  violence  is  to  all 
unreasonable  animals  the  easiest  death:  and  he  adds  that  "it  would 
lie  as  unreasonable  to  doubt  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  this  arrange - 
ineut,  as  it  would  be  to  call  in  question  the  mutual  adaptation  of  each 
part  in  tlie  threat  scheme  of  creation." — Ansteu's  "  Ancient  World,"  p- 
168,  second  edition. 


132  EXCESSIVE  INCEEASE  CONTROLLED. 

Another  thing  to  be  taken  into  consideration,  besides 
tlie  desirable  relief  from  the  sufferings  of  old  age,  is  that 
by  means  of  carnivorous  animals,  an  excessive  increase  of 
any  particular  species  is  controlled  and  prevented.  Many 
animals  multiply  so  rapidly  that,  unless  there  were  some 
check,  they  would  soon  occupy  the  room  allotted  to  other 
animals.  Now  this  necessary  check  is  afforded  by  the 
existence  of  the  carnivorous  animals ;  they  limit  this  ani- 
mal superfecundity ;  and  thus  the  whole  system  of  creation 
is  kept  in  its  proper  proportions.  Those  animals  who  have 
few  or  no  enemies  are  found  to  increase  very  slowly; 
while  those  who  are  exposed  to  a  multitude  of  foes  increase 
in  a  greater  proportion.  And  thus  it  happens  that  whilst 
no  one  species  is  extirpated  by  carnivorous  animals,  none 
is  permitted  so  to  multiply  as  to  occupy  an  undue  space 
in  creation.  And  over  and  above  these  beneficial  effects, 
it  is  in  general  the  old  and  the  sick  that  are  removed  to 
make  room  for  the  young  and  the  healthy;  and  each  dead 
body  affords  the  means  of  nourishment  and  enjoyment  to 
other  creatures.  In  short,  the  language  of  universal  nature 
is,  "  0  Lord,  how  manifold  are  thy  works !  in  wisdom  hast 
Thou  made  them  all :  the  earth  is  full  of  Thy  riches.  So  is 
this  great  sea,  wherein  are  things  creeping  innumerable, 
both  small  and  great  beasts.  These  wait  all  upon  Thee, 
that  Thou  mayest  give  them  meat  in  due  season."* 

*  This  subject  is  most  ably  treated  by  Dr.  Paley  in  his  Natural  Theo- 
logy, Chap,  xxvi,  and  by  Dr.  Buckland  in  his  Bridgewater  Treatise, 
Chapter  xiii.  "  The  appointment  of  death,"  observes  Dr.  Buckland, 
"  by  the  agency  of  the  carnivora,  as  the  ordinary  termination  of  animal 
existence,  appears  in  its  main  results  to  be  a  dispensation  of  benevol- 
ence ;  it  deducts  much  from  the  aggregate  amount  of  the  pain  of  univer- 
sal death;  it  abridges,  and  almost  annihilates,  throughout  the  brute 
creation,  the  misery  of  disease,  and  accidental  injuries,  and  linger- 
ing decay;  and  imposes  such  salutary  restraint  upon  excessive  increase 


SIN  THE  STING  OF  DEATH.  1  88 

It  is  because  death  is  a  punisliment  and  a  terrible  cala- 
niity  to  us,  that  we  suppose  it  to  be  the  same  to  the  inferior 
creatures,  forgetting  that  it  is  sin  which  makes  all  the  dif- 
ference. "  The  sting  of  death,"  says  the  apostle,  "  is  sin."  It 
is  this  which  arms  death  with  deadly  venom,  and  converts 
it  into  a  terrific  enemy.  Death  and  sin  are  thus,  as  regards 
man,  inseparably  connected.  Man  is  trou.bled  with  the  ter- 
rors of  an  accusing  conscience,  and  the  fears  of  a  coming 
retribution.  He  feels  that  guilt  attaches  itself  to  his  soul, 
and  exposes  him  to  the  wrath  of  his  offended  Creator.  He 
cannot  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  he  is  a  morally  account- 
able being ;  that  this  is  the  peculiar  property  and  the  awful 
responsibility  of  liis  race.  And  hence  it  is  that  he  trembles 
to  think  of  death,  because  he  knows  not  what  is  beyond, 
and  his  fears  rather  than  his  hopes  prevail.  If  it  were 
not  for  sin,  death  would  not  be  so  great  a  calamity;  the 
considerations  of  a  calm  philosophy  would  reconcile  us  to 
our  fate.  It  is  not  so  much  death  that  we  dread,  the  mere 
loss  of  animal  life;  it  is  the  consequences  which  follow 
after;  it  is  that  state  of  retribution  where  we  know  not 
what  awaits  us.  The  certain  prospect  of  death,  the  loss  of 
earthly  happiness,  the  pains  of  dissolution,  all  these  are 
indeed  evils,  but  none  of  these,  nor  all  of  them  together, 
constitute  the  real  terror  of  death  as  regards  the  human 

of  numbers,  that  the  supply  of  food  maintains  perpetually  a  due  ratio 
to  the  demand.  The  result  is,  that  the  surface  of  the  land  and  depths 
of  the  waters  are  ever  crowded  with  myriads  of  animated  beings,  the 
pleasures  of  whose  life  are  co-extensive  with  its  duration;  and  which, 
throughout  the  little  day  of  existence  that  is  allotted  to  them,  fulfil  with 
joy  the  functions  for  which  they  were  created.  Life  to  each  individual 
is  a  scene  of  continued  feasting  in  a  region  of  plenty;  and  when  unex- 
pected death  aiTests  its  course,  it  repays  with  small  interest  the  large 
debt,  which  it  has  contracted  to  the  common  fund  of  animal  nutrition, 
from  whence  the  materials  of  its  body  have  been  derived." 


IS^  DEATH  TO  THE  CHEISTIAN. 

race ;  it  is  the  fear  of  the  wrath  to  come, — the  awful  con- 
sciousness of  unpardoned  guilt. 

We  do  not  here  mean  to  affirm  that  the  consciousness 
of  sin,  and  the  dread  of  a  future  retribution,  are  the  only 
circumstances  which  render  death  more  terrible  to  man 
than  to  the  inferior  animals.  There  are  numerous  other 
considerations,  such  as  the  frustration  of  all  our  earthly 
plans,  the  loss  of  intelligent  enjoyment,  the  disappoint- 
ment of  our  earthly  hopes,  the  separation  from  those 
we  love,  which,  even  apart  from  the  consideration  of  a 
future  retribution,  render  death  terrible  to  man;  and  none 
of  which  considerations  affect  the  inferior  animals.  But 
still  the  chief  consideration,  the  real  terror  and  sting  of 
death,  is  sin. 

And  accordingly,  death  to  the  good  man  is  not  so  great 
a  calamity.  Christ  has  vanquished  this  great  enemy.  He 
does  not  indeed  deliver  His  people  entirely  from  its  domi- 
nion ;  He  does  not  at  once  confer  on  them  an  immortal 
life ;  but  He  changes  as  regards  them  the  nature  of  death, 
—He  deprives  it  of  its  sting.  When  'a  man  feels  that  his 
sins  are  pardoned,  when  the  heavy  load  of  guilt  is  removed 
from  his  conscience,  death  appears  to  him  no  longer  ter- 
rible ;  it  is  merely  the  mode  of  his  departure  to  another, 
and  higher,  and  purer  state  of  existence.  He  feels,  with 
the  apostle,  that  "to  die  is  gain:"  and  that  when  the 
earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  is  dissolved,  he  has  a 
building'  of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal 
in  the  heavens.  And  hence  it  is  that  the  death  of  believers 
in  Scripture  is  not  spoken  of  as  death,  but  as  a  sleep; 
when  the  soul  falls  asleep  in  Jesus,  with  the  humble 
hope  of  again  awakening  to  a  glorious  immortality.  And, 
perhaps,  no  where  has  faith  obtained  greater  triumphs, 
no  where  has  the  power  of  Christianity  been  more  conspi- 


DEATH  TO  THE  CHRISTIAN.  1  35 

cuoiisly  displayed,  tliau  on  the  bed  of  deatli.  This  has 
often  been  to  the  true  Christian  the  fiekl  of  victory,  and 
death  has  been  to  him  a  triumphal  chariot  in  which,  like 
Elijah  of  old,  he  has  entered  the  gates  of  the  celestial  city. 
Thus  has  death  ceased  to  be  death;  it  has  been  converted 
into  a  joyful  translation  from  earth  to  heaven.  The  curse 
lias  been  removed;  death  only  bears  the  mere  external 
appearance  of  an  evil;  it  is,  in  reality,  the  messenger  of 
peace  which  calls  the  soul  to  heaven. 

Such  we  consider  to  be  the  true  nature  of  death,  both  as 
regards  the  inferior  animals,  and  as  regards  the  human  race. 
To  the  inferior  animals,  it  is  a  benevolent  dispensation; 
to  man,  it  is  a  part  of  the  original  cvirse,  but  to  those  who 
are  redeemed  through  Christ  the  curse  is  converted  into  a 
blessing,  and  death  becomes  merely  the  manner  in  which 
tlie  soul  passes  from  this  world  of  sin  and  sorrow  to  the 
glories  and  happiness  of  heaven.  The  Christian  dies ;  but 
his  death  is  the  birth  of  his  soul, — the  commencement  of 
his  heavenly  existence. 

"  He  sets 
As  sets  the  morning  star,  which  goes  not  down 
Behind  the  darkened  west,  nor  hides  obscured 
Among  tlie  tempests  of  the  sky,  but  melts  away 
Into  the  light  of  heaven."* 

"  Quoted  from  Hitchcock's  "  Religion  of  Geology,'"  p.  92. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  DELUGE. 

It  has  until  lately  been  the  generally  received  opinion, 
both  among  biblical  scholars  and  scientific  "WTiters,  that 
the  deluge  of  Noah  was  universal  in  its  extent,  so  that 
every  portion  of  the  earth  was  covered  by  its  waters.  The 
terms  in  which  tlie  narrative  is  given  are  so  broad  as 
apparently  to  coimtenance  this  opinion.  We  are  told  that 
"  all  flesh  died  that  moveth  upon  the  earth,  both  of  fowl, 
and  of  cattle,  and  of  beast,  and  of  .every  creeping  thing 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  and  every  man;"  and  "that 
all  the  high  hills  that  were  under  the  whole  heaven 
were  covered."  The  discoveries  of  geology,  until  recently, 
appeared  to  confirm  this  opinion.  The  marks  of  the 
agency  of  water  were  seen  to  be  indelibly  imi)ressed  upon 
the  rocks;  vast  numbers  of  shells  and  other  marine  ani- 
mals were  discovered  in  all  parts  of  the  eartli,  even  at  the 
tops  of  the  highest  mountains;  and,  what  was  regarded 
by  the  better  informed  as  more  conclusive  evidence, 
immense  quantities  of  drifted  materials,  clay,  sand,  and 
gravel,  were  found  lying  upon  the  surface ;  and  the  most 
distinguished  geologists  of  the  day,  with  very  few  excep- 
tions, af&rmed  that  these  drifted  materials  were  proofs  of 
tlie  universality  of  tlie  deluge.  Of  late,  however,  in  con- 
sequence of  more  recent  discoveries,  and  a  more  minute 


THE  DELUGE.  137 

inquiry  into  geological  phenomena,  geologists  have  changed 
their  views;  and  it  is  now  the  general  o})inion  among 
them,  that  in  this  part  of  the  world  at  least,  there  are 
no  traces  whatever  of  the  deluge ;  and  some  of  our  most 
distinguished  Biblical  geologists  affirm  that  there  are 
conclusive  arguments,  derived  from  geology  and  other 
kindred  sciences,  which  prove  that  the  deluge  could  not 
have  been  universal;  they  judge  that  it  was  local  in  its 
extent  and  effects,  and  was  chiefly  confined  to  Armenia, 
or  at  least  did  not  extend  beyond  western  Asia* 

Here,  then,  there  is  an  apparent  discrepancy  between 
the  statements  of  revelation  and  the  teachings  of  science. 
Eevelation  appears  to  affirm  that  the  deluge  was  universal 
in  its  extent  and  effects;  science,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
said  to  teach  that  it  could  only  have  been  local ;  and  that, 
consequently,  although  the  human  race,  except  Noah  and 
liis  family,  were  destroyed  by  it,  yet  by  far  the  greater 
number  of  the  inferior  animals  were  beyond  the  reach  of 
its  influence,  and  so  escaped  destruction.  This  is  the  sub- 
ject which  we  propose  to  consider  in  this  chapter — the 
extent  of  the  deluge — whether  it  was  universal  or  local? 
And  we  trust  that  we  shall  be  able  to  demonstrate  that 
here,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Mosaic  narrative,  there  is  no 
contradiction  between  Scripture  and  science.  ■ 

Tliere  are  two  points  wliich  here  require  to  be  discussed, 
the  teachings  of  science,  and  the  statements  of  revelation, 
concerning  the  deluge.  We  shall  first,  consider  the  light 
which  science  casts  on  this  event;  and  secondly,  advert 
to  the  Scriptural  statements  concerning  it. 

I.  In  the  first  place,  then,  we  have  to  consider  the  light 
which  science  casts  upon  the  deluge. 

•  This  is  the  decided  opinion  of  Dr.  Pye  Smith,  Dr.  Hitchcock,  Dr. 
King,  and  Hugh  Miller. 

I 


138  THE  PHYSICO-THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL. 

There  was  formerly  a  class  of  divines,  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Physico-theological  school,  some  of  whom 
exist  even  to  this  day,  who  tanght  that  Scripture,  when 
rightly  understood,  contains  a  complete  system  of  natural 
philosophy.  They  employed  themselves  chiefly  in  con- 
structing cosmogonies,  or  theories  concerning  the  creation 
of  the  world,  and  the  most  remarkable  changes  which  it 
has  undergone.  In  these  theories  the  deluge  occupied  a 
conspicuous  place,  and  the  most  gigantic  effects  were 
ascribed  to  it.  The  most  renowned  of  these  ancient  cos- 
moffonists  was  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet.*  His  work  bears  the 
strange  title,  "  The  sacred  theory  of  the  earth,  containing 
an  account  of  the  original  of  the  earth,  and  of  all  the 
general  changes  which  it  hath  undergone,  or  is  to  undergo, 
till  the  consummation  of  all  things."  This  work  is  full 
of  the  most  extravagant  suppositions,  but  yet  is  written 
with  considerable  elegance.  According  to  Dr.  Burnet,  the 
face  of  the  earth  before  the  deluge  was  smooth  and  regular, 
without  mountains  and  without  a  sea:  "  it  had,"  as  he 
expresses  it,  "  the  beauty  of  youth  and  blooming  nature, 
fresh  and  fruitful,  and  not  a  wrinkle,  scar,  or  fracture  in  all 
its  body  ;  no  rocks,  nor  mountains,  no  hollow  caves,  nor 
gaping  channels,  but  even  and  uniform  all  over."-f-  The 
crust  of  the  earth,  how^ever,  being  heated  by  a  perpetual 
summer,  was  at  length  broken  up,  so  that  the  waters  in 
the  interior  of  the  globe  rushed  out  and  caused  the  deluge. 

■*  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet  must  not  be  coufounded  with  the  celebrated 
Bishop  Gilbert  Burnet,  a  mistake  which  has  been  made  by  several 
writers. 

t  Burnet's  Theory,  Vol  i.  p.  65,  Glasgow  edition  of  the  year  1753. 
This  work  is  divided  into  four  books, — 1st,  Concerning  the  Deluge.  2d, 
Concerning  Paradise.  3d,  The  burning  of  the  world.  4th,  The  new 
heavens  and  the  new  earth.  It  is  illustrated  by  numerous  curious  plates, 
shewing  the  state  of  the  earth  under  these  dilFerent  conditions. 


THE  PHYSICO-THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL.  139 

Dr.  Woodward,  the  founder  of  the  Professorship  and 
Museum  of  Mineralogy  in  the  University  of  Cambridge, 
supposed  that  by  means  of  the  dehige,  "  the  whole  terres- 
trial globe  was  taken  to  pieces  and  dissolved,  and  again 
settled  down  from  this  promiscuous  mass,  as  any  earthy 
sediment  from  a  Huid."  Winston,  the  successor  of  Newtctn 
as  Professor  of  Mathematics,  published  in  1696  his  "  new 
theoiy  of  the  earth  from  its  original  to  the  consummation 
of  all  things,"  being  designed  to  be  an  improvement  of  Dr. 
Burnet's  theory.  He  supposed  that  the  deluge  was  caused 
by  a  comet  coming  in  contact  with  the  earth,  and  agreed 
with  Woodward  in  supposing  all  stratified  deposits  to  have 
arisen  from  "  the  chaotic  sediment  of  the  earth."  To  such 
an  extent  did  these  ancient  cosmogonists  carry  their  views, 
that  Hutchinson,  an  opponent  of  Woodward,  published  a 
work  entitled  "  Moses'  Principia,"  designed  as  an  answer 
to  the  Principia  of  Newton,  in  which  he  endeavoured  to 
deduce  the  facts  of  natural  philosophy  from  Scripture. 
And  even  in  our  own  time  such  like  extravagancies  have 
been  taught.  The  Eev.  William  Kirby,  in  his  Bridgewater 
Treatise,  "  On  the  history,  habits,  and  instincts  of  animals," 
not  only  agrees  with  Dr.  Burnet  in  supposing  that  there 
is  a  subterranean  ocean,  but  also  supposes  that  there  exists 
a  subterranean  world  of  animals,  and  that  the  huge  rep- 
tiles, whose  remains  are  found  in  the  rocky  strata,  formerly 
existed  in  the  interior  of  the  globe.  Many  of  the  extrava- 
gant o])inions  of  the  old  cosmogonists  have  been  revived 
by  Granville  Penn,  Dean  Cockburn,  Fairholnie,  and  other 
writers  of  the  antigeological  school. 

But  omitting  these  and  such  like  extravagancies,  as  now 
unworthy  of  refutation,  we  would  observe  first,  that  tJie 
fossil  remains  are  not  and  cannot  possiblij  he  the  effects  of 
the  deluge. 


140  FOSSIL  KEMAINS  AND  THE  DELUGE. 

The  fossil  remains,  which  are  found  in  the  stratified 
rocks,  in  all  the  places  of  the  earth's  surface,  and  at  all 
heights,  were  formerly  supposed  to  have  been  deposited 
by  the  flood  of  Noah.  AVhen,  especially,  it  was  found 
that  most  of  these  fossils  were  of  marine  origin,  they  were 
considered  as  incontrovertible  proofs  of  the  reality  and  extent 
of  the  deluge.  Shells  and  the  remains  offish  and  of  marine 
lizards  are  most  plentifully  distributed  throughout  the 
earth,  at  the  tops  of  hills  as  v/ell  as  in  valleys,  thus  proving 
beyond  doubt  that  the  places  where  they  are  found  were 
once  under  water.  Now  it  was  very  natural,  in  the  infancy 
of  geology,  to  refer  all  these  to  the  deluge.*  It  is,  however, 
completely  inexcusable  in  the  present  day;  and  yet  we 
find  the  same  error  made  in  theological  works  of  authority 
and  repute.  Thus  Home,  in  his  Introduction  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, remarks,  "  The  universality  of  the  deluge  is  con- 
firmed by  the  fossilized  remains  of  animals  belonging  to  a 
former  world,  which  are  found  in  every  quarter  of  the 
globe." •[•  And  in  the  edition  of  Buck's  Theological  Dic- 
tionary, by  the  late  Dr.  Henderson  of  Highbury  College, 
there  is  the  following  statement,  without  note  or  correction. 
"  It  may  also  be  observed  that  in  the  regions  far  removed 
from  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  viz.,  Italy,  France,  Switzer- 
land, Germany,  England,  &c.,  there  are  frequently  found, 

*  In  the  seventeenth  and  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  centuries,  a  great 
controversy  was  carried  on  among  naturalists,  as  to  whether  the  fossil 
remains  were  the  effects  of  the  deluge.  The  celebrated  naturalist 
Scheuchzer,  in  1708,  wrote  a  treatise  on  a  fossil  skeleton,  under  the  title 
of  "  Homo  Diluvii  Testis,"  and  which  he  asserted  was  the  skeleton  of  a 
man  who  had  been  drowned  in  the  flood.  This  gave  rise  to  a  very  ani- 
mated and  prolonged  controversy.  The  skeleton  was  afterwards  exam- 
ined by  Cuvier,  and  proved  by  him  to  belong  to  a  lizard  of  an  extinct 
species. 

t  Horne's  "  Introduction  to  the  Scriptures"  Vol.  i.  p.  148,  ninth 
edition. 


FOSSIL  REMAINS  AND  THE  DELUGK  141 

in  places  many  scores  of  leagues  from  the  sea,  and  even  at 
the  tops  of  high  mountains,  whole  trees  sunk  deep  under 
ground,  as  also  teeth  and  bones  of  animals,  fishes  entire,  sea 
shells,  ears  of  corn,  &c.,  petrified,  which  the  best  naturalists 
are  agreed  could  never  have  come  there  but  by  the  deluge."* 

Now  none  that  are  in  the  least  degree  acquainted  with 
geology,  need  be  told  that  this  opinion  is  most  unfounded 
and  extravagant.  If  these  organic  remains  had  been 
deposited  by  the  flood,  they  would  all  have  been  confusedly 
mixed  together ;  but  on  the  contrary,  they  are  found  in  the 
rocky  strata  regidarly  arranged  as  in  a  cabinet ;  there  is  no 
mixture  of  land  and  marine  animals,  and  each  formation 
has  its  own  peculiar  fossils.  All  these  fossil  animals, 
moreover,  except  a  very  few  in  the  uppermost  strata,  are 
of  extinct  species ;  whereas,  if  they  had  been  the  relics  of 
the  antidiluvian  world,  they  would  have  corresponded  for 
the  most  part  with  living  plants  and  animals ;  the  remains 
of  man  and  his  works  w^ould  certainly  have  been  found, 
whereas  no  vestige  of  this  kind  has  been  discovered  em- 
bedded in  any  of  the  rocks,  except  those  which  are  now 
forming.  But  w^hat  puts  the  matter  beyond  doubt  is  the 
vast  thickness  of  the  fossiliferous  rocks.  It  has  been  clearly 
demonstrated  that  they  extend  downwards  to  a  depth  of 
from  six  to  seven  miles,  and  that  they  are  made  up  of 
hundreds  of  different  beds  containing  peculiar  fossils ;  so 
that  it  is  altogether  impossible  that  they  could  have  been 
the  effects  of  a  temporary  deluge,  which  at  the  longest 
lasted  only  for  little  more  than  a  year. 

Secondly,  What  is  termed  the  drift  or  diluvium  is  nut 
the  effect  of  the  deluge. 

*  This  edition  of  Buck's  "  Theological  Dictionary,"  was  published  so 
late  as  the  year  1851.  Dr.  Campbell  of  London  comniits  the  same 
egregious  error  in  his  notes  to  the  Bible  recently  jmblished. 


142  THE  DEIFT. 

There  are   found   scattered,  here  and  there  over  the 
surface  of  this  country,  and  in  northern  and  high  southern 
latitudes,  vast   quantities   of  rubbish   or    detritus,   com- 
posed  of    clay,    sand,   gravel,    and   huge    stones    called 
boulders,   which    have   evidently   been    drifted   to  their 
several  positions  by  the  action  of  some  powerful  deluge. 
Besides,  there  are  many  caves,  in  which  are  found  the 
bones  and  skeletons  of  different  animals,  several  of  them 
being  the  same  as  those  now  existing.     It  has  also  been 
proved  that  all  these  accumulations  and  remains  are  com- 
paratively of  very  recent  origin, — that  they  occurred  after 
the  Tertiary  or  the  most  recent  formation.     Now  it  was 
very  natural  to  refer  all  these  to  the  action  of  the  universal 
deluge,  and  geologists  of  the  highest  standing  and  eminence 
adopted  this  opinion  and  published  in  defence  of  it.    Such, 
in  particular,  was  the  theory  advanced  by  the  illustrious 
Cuvier ;  and  in  Our  own  country,  at  one  time  supported  by 
Dr.  Buckland  in  his  "  Eeliquiee  Diluvianee," — though  after- 
wards formally  renounced  by  him.     By  Dr.  Buckland,  the 
deluge  was   represented  as   excavating  valleys,  carrying 
fragments  of  rocks  from  one  place  to  another,  strewing  the 
earth's  surface  with   immense  quantities  of  gravel,  and 
washing  the  dead  bodies  of  animals  into  caves  and  holes.* 
It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  exliibit  clearly  the  evidences  by 
which  it  has  been  fully  demonstrated,  that  the  drift,  or,  as 
Buckland  termed  it,  the  diluvium,  cannot  be  the  effect  of 
any  temporary  deluge,  because  the  proof  depends  on  a 

*  An  animated  and  interesting  controversy  was  carried  on,  on  this 
point,  between  Dr.  Buckland  and  the  late  Dr.  Fleming  of  Edinburgh. 
Dr.  Fleming  contended  that  the  deluge  had  left  no  traces  of  its  operation 
upon  the  surface  of  the  earth.  "  I  am  not,"  he  says,  "  prepared  to 
witness  in  nature  any  remaining  marks  of  the  catastrophe,  and  I  find  my 
respect  for  the  authority  of  revelation  heightened,  when  I  see,  on  the 
present  surface,  no  memorials  of  the  event." 


BUCKLAND  ON  THE  DEIFT.  14-3 

multitude  of  particulars,  the  full  force  of  which  can  only 
be  appreciated  by  the  geologist.  All  those  distinguished 
geologists,  Buckland,  Sedgwick,  Greenough,  Hitchcock, 
and  others,  who  formerly  taught  otherwise,  have  one  by 
one  openly  renounced  their  opinions,  and  now  declare  that 
the  drift  is  a  deposit,  or  rather  a  series  of  different  deposits, 
antecedent  to  the  deluge,  and  which,  or  at  least  the  greatest 
portion  of  it,  occurred  before  the  present  creation.  Thus 
I)r  Buckland,  in  a  note  in  his  Bridgewater  Treatise,  candidly 
renounces  the  opinion  advanced  in  the  Eeliquise  Diluvianae. 
"  The  evidence,"  he  there  says,  "  which  I  have  collected 
in  my  '  Eeliquite  Diluviana?,'  1823,  shows  that  one  of  the 
last  great  physical  events  that  have  affected  the  surface  of 
our  globe,  was  a  violent  inundation,  which  overwhelmed 
great  part  of  the  northern  hemisphere,  and  that  this  event 
was  followed  by  the  sudden  disappearance  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  species  of  terrestrial  quadrupeds,  which  had 
inhabited  these  regions  in  the  period  immediately  pre- 
ceding it.  I  also  ventured  to  apply  the  name  Diluvium  to 
the  superficial  beds  of  gravel,  clay,  and  sand,  which  appear 
to  have  been  produced  by  this  great  irruption  of  water. 

"  The  description  of  the  facts  that  form  the  evidence 
presented  in  this  volume,  is  kept  distinct  from  the  ques- 
tion of  the  identity  of  the  event  attested  by  them,  with  any 
deluge  recorded  in  history.  Discoveries  which  have  been 
made,  since  the  publication  of  this  work,  show  that  many 
of  the  animals  therein  described,  existed  during  more  than 
one  geological  period  preceding  the  catastrophe  by  which 
they  were  extirpated.  Hence  it  seems  more  probable,  that 
the  event  in  question  was  the  last  of  the  many  geological 
revolutions  that  have  been  produced  by  violent  irruptions 
of  water,  rather  than  the  comparatively  tranquil  inunda- 
tion described  in  the  inspired  narrative. 


144  NATUKE  OF  THE  DRIFT. 

"  It  has  been  justly  argued,  against  the  attempt  to  iden- 
tify these  two  great  historical  and  natural  phenomena/that 
as  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  waters  of  the  Mosaic  deluge  are 
described  to  have  been  gradual,  and  of  short  duration,  they 
would  have  produced  comparatively  little  change  on  the 
surface  of  the  country  they  overflowed.  The  large  pre- 
ponderance of  extinct  species  among  the  animals  we  find 
in  caves  and  in  superficial  deposits  of  diluvium,  and  the 
non-discovery  of  human  bones  along  with  them,  afford  other 
strong  reasons  for  referring  these  species  to  a  period  ante- 
rior to  the  creation  of  man."* 

Professor  Sedgwick  expresses  himself  in  similar  terms. 
"  Bearing,"  he  says,  "  upon  this  difficult  question  there  is, 
I  think,  one  great  negative  conclusion  now  incontestibly 
established  —  that  the  vast  masses  of  diluvial  gravel, 
scattered  almost  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth,  do 
not  belong  to  one  violent  and  transitory  period.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  most  unwarranted  conclusion,  when  we  assumed 
the  contemporaneity  of  all  the  superficial  gravel  on  the 
earth.  We  saw  the  clearest  traces  of  diluvial  action,  and 
we  had,  in  our  sacred  histories,  the  record  of  a  general 
dehige.  On  this  double  testimony  it  was,  that  we  gave  a 
unity  to  a  vast  succession  of  phenomena,  not  one  of  which 
we  perfectly  comprehended,  and  under  the  name  diluvium, 
classed  them  all  together.  Our  errors  were  natural,  and  of 
the  same  kind  which  led  many  excellent  observers  of  a 
former  century  to  refer  all  the  secondary  formations  of 
geology  to  the  Noachian  deluge."-f- 

The  drift  formation  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  problems 
in  the  science  of  geology.  Geologists  are  not  agreed  as  to 
the  precise  period  of  its  occurrence,  its  cause,  its  duration, 

*  BucKLANu's  " Bridgewater  Treatise"  pp.  94,  95. 

t  Sedgwick's  Address  to  the  Geological  Society  iu  1831. 


THE  DKIFT  NOT  CAUSED  BY  THE  DELUGE.      145 

and  the  mode  of  its  operation ;  but  on  this  point  they  are 
aoreed,  that  it  could  not  have  been  the  effect  of  one  tern- 
porary  deluge.  The  reasons  or  facts  by  which  they  have 
arrived  at  this  conclusion  are  such  as  the  following: — 1. 
It  has  been  proved  that  the  drift,  however  widely  spread, 
is  local,  and  not  universal  in  its  extent.  It  is  chiefly  con- 
lined  to  northern  and  high  southern  latitudes ;  no  traces 
of  it  are  found  in  equatorial  regions ;  and  it  is  also  wholly 
awanting  in  countries  bordering  on  the  Mediterranean. 
2.  It  has  been  proved  that  the  drift  consists,  not  of  one, 
but  of  several  deposits  which  occurred  at  ver}^  different 
periods.  There  are  distinct  sets  of  accumulations,  the  one 
often  lying  above  the  other,  which  could  not  have  been 
caused  by  the  same  flood  of  waters.*  3.  It  has  been 
proved  that  the  drift  formation  occupied  immense  periods 
of  time.  There  are  extensive  erosions  and  denudations 
caused  by  it,  which  would  require  ages  to  produce.  And 
the  huge  stones  or  boulders  are  in  general  rounded, 
proving  that  they  were  for  a  considerable  time  exposed  to 
the  action  of  water.  All  these  effects  could  not  have  been 
produced  in  the  course  of  a  year.  4.  A  large  proportion 
of  the  animals,  found  in  caves  and  superficial  deposits  of 
the  di'ift,  are  of  extinct  species,  thus  affording  the  pre- 
sumption that  they  belong  to  a  creation  anterior  to  that  of 
man;  and  this  opinion  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  no 
remains  of  man  or  of  his  works  are  foimd  in  the  drift. 
5.  The  drift  has  been  caused  chiefly  by  the  agency  of  ice, 
and  not  simply  of  water.     Many  of  the  huge  boulders,  it 

*  "  The  Scandinavian  boulders  in  the  north  of  Germany,"  observes 
Professor  Sedgwick,  "  are  of  an  older  date  than  the  diluvium  of  the 
Danube ;  and  we  can  prove,  that  the  great  erratic  blocks,  derived  from 
the  granite  of  Mount  Blanc,  are  of  a  more  recent  origin  than  the  old 
gravel  in  the  tributary  valleys  of  the  Rhone." 


1*6  EXTENT  OF  THE  DELUGE. 

has  been  proved,  have  traversed  seas  and  mountains,  and 
are  found  at  an  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet.  Now, 
the  only  natural  agency  known  that  could  have  produced 
these  effects,  is  that  of  icebergs.  Geologists,  therefore,  have 
come  to  the  conclusion,  that  during  the  drift  period  the 
land  was  sunk  to  the  depth  of  nearly  two  thousand  feet, 
that  nothing  of  Britain  remained  above  the  water  except  a 
few  small  islands,  and  that  it  was  a  season  of  intense  cold, 
when  icebergs  deposited  their  contents  on  what  now  con- 
stitutes the  surface  of  this  island.*  For  these  and  a 
variety  of  other  considerations,  it  is  now  the  universally 
received  opinion  among  well-informed  geologists,  that  the 
accumulations  of  the  drift  could  not  have  been  the  result 
of  the  Mosaic  deluge. 

Thirdly,  The  recent  discoveries  of  geology  and  other 
kindred  sciences,  are  by  several  biblical  geologists  and 
naturalists,  considered  to  lead  to  the  conclusion,  that  the 
deluge  was  only  local  in  its  extent  arid  effects. 

This  is  the  chief  point  to  be  considered,  and  therefore 
requires  a  more  careful  examination  than  the  other  two. 
It  is  here  that  the  teachings  of  science  are  supposed  to 
come  in  contact  with  the  teachings  of  revelation.  We  must, 
therefore,  inquire  into  the  facts  of  science, — what  has  been 
fully  demonstrated  on  this  point ;  and  must  by  all  means 
avoid  asserting  propositions  to  be  true  which  have  not  been 
proved.  Now  there  are  several  arguments  brought  for- 
ward, which  we  shall  candidly  examine  and  give  to  each 
its  true  weight. 

1.  It  has  been  asserted  that  there  are  several  geological 
phenomena  which  prove  that  the  flood  could  not  have 

*  The  amount  of  submergence  during  the  drift  period  has  been  vari- 
ously estimated.  It  is  said,  that  in  Scotland,  there  are  water-worn 
boulders  found  at  altitudes  of  1800  and  2000  feet. 


THE  AUVEEGNE  VOLCANOES.  l-iT 

been  universal.     There  are  in  the  sonthern  part  of  the 
centre  of  France,  in  the  province  of  Auvergne,  a  chain  of 
mountains  which  contain  a  number  of  extinct  volcanoes. 
The  rivers  have  made  themselves  channels  in  the  conso- 
lidated lava,  to  the  depth  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and 
fossils  have  been  found  in  strata,  interposed  between  the 
volcanic  beds,  belonging  to  the  Eocene,  Miocene,  and  Plio- 
cene groups  of  the  Tertiary  formation.*     Now  the  argu- 
ment stands  thus :  On  the  tops  of  these  hills  there  are 
loose  scori?e,  ashes,  and  other  volcanic  products.     There  is 
every  reason  for  supposing  that  the  Auvergne  volcanoes 
have  not  been  in  action  since  the  deluge,  and  that  conse- 
quently these  scoriaj  were  deposited  before  that  event.f 
If,  then,  this  were  the  case,  it  is  argued  that  these  hills 
could  not  have  been  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  diluvial 
waters,  for  these  loose  materials  would  have  been  washed 
away.     For  similar  reasons,  Sir  Charles  Lyell  concludes 
that  "  no  devastating  wave  has  passed  over  the  forest  zone 
of  Etna  since  any  of  the  lateral  cones  were  thrown  up ; 
for  none  of  these  heaps  of  loose  sand  and  scorise  could 
have  resisted  for  a  moment  the  denuding  action  of  a  vio- 
lent flood;"  and  to  these  lateral  cones  he  assigns  an  anti- 

*  Geologically,  then,  these  hills  are  of  recent  origin,  as  they  belong  to 
the  Tertiaiy  formation,  but  this  is  long  anterior  to  the  creation  of  man. 
Mr.  Scrope  observes,  that  the  vast  excavations  effected  by  the  erosive 
power  of  the  streams  which  feed  the  Axdeche,  having  made  for  them- 
selves channels  in  the  basalt?rock  or  consolidated  lava,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  in  depth,  prove  that  even  the  most  recent  of  these  volcanic  erup- 
tions belong  to  an  era  incalculably  remote. 

t  Sir  Charles  Lyell  informs  us  that  there  are  no  proofs  as  yet  dis- 
covered that  these  volcanoes  have  been  in  action  since  the  Pliocene 
period.  He  observes,  "  The  extinct  volcanoes  of  Auvergne  and  Cantal, 
in  Central  France,  seem  to  have  commenced  their  eruptions  in  the  upper 
Eocene  period,  but  to  have  been  most  active  during  the  Miocene  and 
Pliocene  eras."— Ltell's  '' Manual,"  p.  550,  fifth  edition. 


l-iS  WATEES  OF  THE  DELUGE. 

quity  of  no  less  than  twelve  thousand  years*  In  addition 
to  the  extinct  volcanoes  of  Auvergne  and  Etna,  several  such 
accumulations  of  scoriae  are  to  be  found  in  other  parts  of 
Europe;  but  there  is  a  difficulty  in  determining  their  age, 
whether  within  or  beyond  the  human  period.  The  argu- 
ment, however,  we  think,  cannot  be  considered  as  demon- 
strative, and  can  only  be  viewed  as  a  probable  supposition, 
requiring  to  be  corroborated  by  other  arguments.-f* 

2.  It  has  been  asserted,  that  there  is  not  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  water  in  the  globe  to  cover  the  highest  moun- 
tains. The  height  of  the  highest  mountains  has  been  esti- 
mated to  be  about  five  miles ;  and  to  cover  them,  it  has 
been  calculated,  would  require  eight  times  the  quantity  of 
water  that  is  in  the  globe.  Now,  the  question  just  comes  to 
be,  Whence  this  immense  quantity  of  water?  From  what 
reservoir  did  it  floM^,  and  what  has  since  become  of  it? 
Accordingly,  a  vast  number  of  hypotheses  have  been  pro- 
posed, and  great  ingenuity  displayed  in  answering  the 
inquiry.  Some  suppose  that  there  is  a  subterranean  abyss 
from  which  the  waters  came,  and  to  which  they  again 
retired;  but  science  has  demonstrated  that  no  such  sub- 
terranean ocean  can  possibly  exist.  Others,  as  Whiston, 
thought  that  the  deluge  was  caused  by  a  comet  impinging 
upon  the  earth;  but  it  has  been  proved  that  a  comet  is 
merely  vapour.  And  others  have  resolved  it  all  into  a 
miracle, — that  the  waters  were  by  a  miracle  created,  and 
afterwards  by  a  miracle  annihilated.  This,  however,  it  has 
been  replied,  is  a  mere  begging  of  the  question;  and 
we  are  not  at  liberty  thus  to  assume  miracles,  when  no 

*  Lyell's  ^'Principles  of  Geology,"  p.  423,  ninth  edition. 

t  See  this  subject  fully  treated  of  in  Lyell's  "Manual,"  chap,  xxxii., 
and  in  Scrope's  "  Memoir  of  the  Geology  of  Central  France."  See  also 
Pye  Smith's  "Scripture  and  Geology,"  pp.  134-139. 


SIZE  OF  THE  AEK.  149 

intimation  of  their  occurrence  is  given.  The  Scriptures 
appear  to  assign  the  dehige  to  two  natural  causes — to  the 
fountains  of  the  deep  being  broken  up,  and  to  the  windows 
of  heaven  being  opened;*  that  is,  to  the  ocean  overflowing 
its  banks,  and  to  an  excessive  fall  of  rain;  causes  per- 
fectly sufficient  to  account  for  a  local  deluge  of  consider- 
able extent,  but  which,  if  the  quantity  of  water  in  the 
globe  remained  constant,  could  not  possibly  produce  a 
universal  deluge. 

3.  It  has  been  further  urged,  that  the  ark  is  of  too  sniaU 
dimensions  to  contain  pairs  of  all  the  unclean,  and  septu- 
ples of  all  the  clean  animals.  Now,  this  argument  just 
resolves  itself  into  the  inquiries,  What  was  the  size  of  the 
ark?  and,  Wliat  is  the  number  of  existing  species  of  ani- 
mals? 

As  to  the  size  of  the  ark,  its  dimensions  are  given  us  in 
the  sacred  Scriptures ;  we  are  there  told  that  it  was  an 
oblong  building  of  three  stories,  and  that  it  was  "  three 
hundred  cubits  in  length,  fifty  cubits  in  breadth,  and  thirty 
cubits  in  height."  There  are  different  opinions  as  to  the  pre- 
cise length  of  a  cubit,  as  there  were  several  cubit  measui-es 
employed  by  the  Hebrews.-j*  Hugh  Miller,  in  his  "  Testi- 
mony of  the  Eocks,"  adopts  the  natural  cubit,  being  the 
length  of  the  arm  from  the  elbow  to  the  end  of  the  middle 
finger,  or  about  eighteen  inches.  This  would  make  the 
ark  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  and  seventy- 


*  It  is,  however,  still  a  disputed  point  among  theologians,  whether  the 
causes  here  mentioned  are  to  be  regarded  as  wholly  miraculous  or  simply 
natural:  and  if  the  causes  were  miraculous,  that  is,  entirely  removed 
out  of  physical  laws,  all  inquiry  as  to  the  quantity  of  water  necessary  is 
superfluous. 

t  There  seem  to  liave  been  no  less  than  four  different  cubit  meaeure- 
ments  among  the  Jews. 


150  NFMBEK  OF  ANIMALS. 

five  feet  in  breadth;*  and  tliese  dimensions  multiplied  by 
three,  the  number  of  stories,  would  give  us  the  space  which 
it  contained,  being  in  round  numbers  a  hundred  thousand 
square  feet.  Dr.  Hales,  who  also  adopts  the  natural  cubit 
as  his  measurement,  asserts  that  this  would  be  sufficient 
"to  carry  20,000  men,  with  provisions  for  six  months, 
besides  the  weight  of  1800  cannons,  and  of  all  military 
stores." -f-  This,  however,  while  making  no  provision  for 
the  cannon  and  stores,  would  only  admit  of  five  square 
feet  to  each  man. 

The  next  thing  to  be  taken  into  consideration  is  the 
number  of  animals.  Wlien  Dr.  Hales  made  his  calculation, 
he  proceeded  upon  the  assumption  of  the  correctness  of  the 
number  given  by  Buffon,  about  two  hundred  or  two  hundred 
and  fifty  quadrupeds ;  J  but  according  to  the  latest  calcula- 
tion, it  is  estimated  that  of  existing  mammals  there  are,  in 
round  numbers,  1 500  species,  of  birds  6000,  and  of  reptiles, 
very  few  kinds  of  wliich  can  live  in  water,  about  1000; 


*  According  to  Dr.  Arlmthnot's  calculation,  the  length  of  the  ark  is 
about  547  feet;  its  breadth  91  feet;  and  its  height  55  feet.  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  Shuckford,  and  Hales,  give  the  same  measurement  as  in  the 
text.  Hugh  Miller  remarks,  that  even  adopting  the  larger  cubit,  (21 
inches,)  it  would  only  give  an  area  equal  to  about  one-seventh  of  the 
great  Crystal  Palace  of  1851 ;  or  the  area  of  the  three  floors  of  the  ark, 
taken  together,  would  fall  short,  by  about  28,000  square  feet,  of  that  of 
the  northern  gallery  of  the  Palace,  which  measured  1848  feet  in  length, 
and  96  feet  in  breadth. 

t  This  calculation  is  adopted  by  Home,  in  his  "Introduction  to  the 
Scriptures,"  and  by  Dr.  Kitto,  in  his  "  Illustrated  Commentaiy  on  the 
Holy  Bible." 

X  Dr  Hales'  words  are,  "  Can  we  doubt  of  its  (the  ark)  being  sufficient 
to  contain  eight  persons,  and  about  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and 
fifty  pair  of  four-footed  animals ;  a  number  to  which,  according  to  Buffon, 
all  the  various  distinct  species  may  be  reduced,  together  with  all  the  sub- 
sistence necessary  for  a  twelvemonth." 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  ANIMALS.  151 

and  besides  an  immense  number  of  species  of  insects, 
amounting  to  more  than  500,000.  Nor  are  all  these 
recently  discovered  species  of  small  bulk ;  on  the  contrary, 
some  of  them  are  the  largest  of  existing  animals;  there 
are  now  discovered  two  species  of  elephants,  and  at  least 
six  species  of  rhinoceros,  instead  of  one  of  each  according 
to  previous  calculations.  From  this,  then,  it  would  appear, 
that  there  are  upwards  of  508,000  species  of  animals ;  and 
these  require  to  be  midtiplied,  some  by  tw^o  and  others  by 
seven,  so  that  there  would  be  more  than  a  million  which 
would  require  to  be  lodged  in  the  ark,  supposing  the  deluge 
to  have  been  universal.  And,  besides  the  animals  them- 
selves, there  is  also  their  food,  which  was  ordered  to  be  stored 
up  for  them,  and  which  would  occupy  at  least  as  large  a  space 
as  themselves.*  Taking,  then,  these  two  facts  into  consi- 
deration— the  size  of  the  ark,  containing  a  space  of  a  hun- 
dred thousand  square  feet,  and  the  number  of  animals  which 
it  would  require  to  hold  if  the  flood  were  universal,  being 
more  than  a  million  with  space  for  their  food ;  it  is  extremely 
difficult  to  suppose,  that  the  ark  could  afford  sufficient 
accommodation  to  contain  these  animals  and  their  food, 
even  after  every  allowance  has  been  made  for  the  diminu- 
tive size  of  the  greater  number  of  them. 

4.  Another  objection  against  the  universality  of  the 
flood  has  been  drawn  from  the  well-known  fact,  that  most 
animals  are  distributed  into  districts  beyond  the  limits  of 
which  they  cannot  exist.  Every  large  district  has  its  pecu- 
liar plants   and   animals.     "  The  great  continents,"  says 

*  Many  of  the  animals  being  carnivorous  would  require  other  animals 
to  be  provided  for  them,  as  food  on  which  to  subsist.  Some  kinds  of  food 
could  scarcely  be  stored  up;  as  the  difterent  plants  and  trees  on  which  the 
insects  subsist.  "  There  are  myriads  of  insects  that  can  live  upon  but 
single  plants  that  grow  in  very  limited  botanic  centres." 


152  DISTRIBUTION  OF  ANIMALS. 

Cuvier,  "  contain  species  peculiar  to  each ;  insomuch  that 
whenever  large  countries  of  this  description  have  been  dis- 
covered, which  their  situation  had  kept  isolated  from  the  rest 
of  the  world,  the  class  of  quadrupeds  which  they  contained 
has  been  found  extremely  different  from  any  that  had 
existed  elsewhere.  Thus,  when  the  Spaniards  first  pene- 
trated into  South  America,  they  did  not  find  a  single  spe- 
cies of  quadruped,  the  same  as  any  of  Europe,  Asia,  or 
Africa.  Similar  circumstances  have  occurred  in  our  own 
time,  when  the  coasts  of  New  Holland  and  the  adjacent 
islands  were  first  explored."  The  animals  which  dwell  in 
the  frigid  zone  could  not  possibly  survive  one  month,  if 
they  were  conveyed  to  the  torrid  zone ;  and  conversely,  the 
animals  which  dwell  near  the  equator  would  at  once 
perish,  if  transported  to  the  poles.  In  order,  then,  that  all 
animals  might  be  collected  into  the  ark,  we  must  conceive 
that  some  supernatural  impulse  was  communicated  to  them, 
contrary  to  their  natures,  to  wander  from  their  fixed  cen- 
tres; that  they  were  preserved  in  circumstances  and  in  a 
climate  where,  if  left  to  themselves,  they  would  die ;  and 
that  after  the  flood  they  were  transported  back  again  to 
those  districts  from  which  they  came, — the  polar  bear  to 
Greenland,  the  sloths  and  armadillos  to  South  America, 
the  kangaroo  and  other  marsupial  animals  to  Australia, 
the  African  elephant  to  the  wilds  of  Africa,  whilst  the 
Asiatic  elephant,  a  different  species,  was  left  in  Asia.  In 
short,  to  use  the  emphatic  language  of  Dr.  Pye  Smith, 
although  the  terms  in  which  he  expresses  himself  are 
perhaps  too  strong,  "  All  land  animals  have  their  geogTa- 
phical  regions,  to  which  their  constitutional  natures  are 
congenial,  and  many  could  not  live  in  any  other  situation. 
We  cannot  represent  to  ourselves  the  idea  of  their  being 
brought  into  one  small  spot,  from  the  polar  regions,  the 


THE  FISH  AND  PLANTS.  15S 

torrid  zone,  and  all  the  other  climates  of  Asia,  Africa, 
Europe,  America,  Australia,  and  the  thousands  of  islands ; 
their  preservation  and  provision ;  and  the  iinal  disposal  of 
them;  without  bringing  up  the  idea  of  miracles  more 
stupendous  than  any  that  are  recorded  in  Scripture.  The 
great  decisive  miracle  of  Christianity,  the  resurrection  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  sinks  down  before  it."* 

5.  As  another  argument  against  the  universality  of  the 
deluge,  it  has  been  urged,  that  the  fisli  and  plants  could 
not  survive  such  a  catastrophe.  It  has  been  considered 
absurd  to  assign  a  place  in  the  ark  for  the  fish,  as  it  was 
thought  that  they  could  easily  exist  in  their  native  ele- 
ment. But  this  is  a  mistake ;  the  fresh-water  fish  coidd 
not  possibly  exist  if  the  flood  covered  the  whole  earth,  and 
so  converted  all  the  water  into  salt;-f-  nor  could  even  most 
of  the  salt-water  fish  withstand  the  force  of  such  a  mighty 
rush  of  waters,  and  which  would  sweep  away  their  nourish- 
ment. By  far  the  greater  number  of  land  plants  also  could 
not  survive  a  submersion  in  water  for  a  year;  whole  spe- 
cies would  be  extirpated  and  only  a  very  few  woidd  escape 
destruction,  j     We  are  therefore  reduced,  on  the  h}'pothe- 

*  Smith's  "  Geology  and  Scripture"  p.  145,  Bohn's  Edition. 

t  A  small  quantity  of  salt  water  will  dilute  a  large  quantity  of  fresh 
to  such  a  degree  as  to  destroy  animal  life.  A  few  species  of  fish  can 
live  in  brackish  water. 

X  •'■  Of  the  one  hundred  thousand  species  of  known  plants,  few  would 
survive  submersion  for  a  twelvemonth;  nor  would  the  seeds  of  most  of 
the  others  fare  better  than  the  plants  themselves.  There  are  certain 
hardy  seeds  that  in  favourable  circumstances  maintain  their  vitality  for 
ages;  and  there  are  others,  strongly  encased  in  water-tight  shells  or 
skins,  that  have  floated  across  oceans  to  germinate  in  distant  islands; 
but  such,  as  every  florist  knows,  is  not  the  general  character  of  seeds; 
and  not  until  after  many  unsuccessful  attempts,  and  many  expedients 
had  been  resorted  to,  have  the  more  delicate  kinds  been  brought  unin- 
jured, even  on  shipboard,  from  distant  countries  to  our  own.     It  is  not 

K 


]  54  ABUSE  OF  MIRACLES. 

sis  of  a  universal  deluge,  to  one  or  other  of  these  three 
alternatives;  either  provision  was  made  for  the  fish  and 
plants  in  the  ark,  a  thing  which  its  size,  not  to  mention 
other  obvious  reasons,  would  not  admit  of;  or  these  fish 
and  plants  were  destroyed  by  the  deluge  and  afterwards 
re-created,  a  mere  gratuitous  hypothesis  contrary  to  all  ana- 
logy ;  or  else  they  were  preserved  by  a  series  of  miracles. 

To  all  these  arguments,  against  the  universality  of  the 
deluge,  it  has  been  replied,  that  the  flood  is  a  miracle  and 
is  therefore  not  to  be  judged  of  by  natural  laws,  and  that 
even  although  the  difficulties  were  ten  times  greater  than 
they  are,  yet  the  power  of  God  could  overcome  them. 
Now  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that  God  is  able  to  remove  all 
these  difficulties  which  stand  in  the  way  of  the  univer- 
sality of  the  flood  by  the  interposition  of  miracles ;  but  the 
question  is,  Have  we  scriptural  evidence  that  He  has  done 
so?  or,  if  the  Scripture  is  silent  on  the  point,  Is  it  at  all 
probable  that  such  a  gigantic  system  of  miracles  has  been 
wrought?  For  consider  what  this  assumption  supposes; 
consider  the  number,  and  magnitude,  and  nature  of  the 
miracles  which  it  takes  for  granted.  A  miracle  could 
create  a  sufficient  quantity  of  water,  eight  times  that  of  the 
present  oceans,  and  another  miracle  could  destroy  it.  A 
miracle  could  bring  together  all  the  different  animals  from 
their  several  habitations,  a  second  miracle  could  preserve 
them  in  existence  in  a  climate  where  otherwise  the  most 
of  them  would  perish,  a  third  miracle  could  supply  them 
with  their  appropriate  food  or  sustain  them  in  life  without 
it,  and  a  fourth  mii'acle  could  transport  them  back  to  the 

too  much  to  hold  that,  without  special  miracle,  at  least  three-fourth.s  of 
the  terrestrial  vegetation  of  the  globe  would  have  perished  in  a  universal 
deluge  that  covered  over  the  dry  land  for  a  year." — Miller's  "  Testi- 
mony of  the  Rocks"  pp.  338,  339. 


DELUGE  LOCAL  IN  ITS  EXTENT.  155 

same  places  from  wliicb  they  came.  A  miracle  conld  keep 
alive  all  the  fresh-water  fish,  whilst  salt  water  covered  tlie 
Avhole  earth,  and  all  the  land  plants,  whilst  they  were  sub- 
merged nnder  water  for  more  than  a  year.  Moreover,  on 
this  supposition,  we  must  go  farther,  and  affirm  that  a 
miracle  could  lessen  the  dimensions  of  the  different  animals 
and  make  them  small  enough  for  the  ark  to  contain  them. 
A  miracle,  if  the  observations  of  the  most  distinguished 
geologists  are  correct,  could  so  preserve  the  summits  and 
flanks  of  certain  volcanic  hills,  as  to  prevent  their  loose 
materials  from  being  swept  away  by  the  diluvial  waters. 
But  are  we  warranted  to  form  these  conjectures?  Do  they 
not  savour  of  presumption  and  irreverence?  The  end 
which  God  had  in  view  in  the  deluge  was  the  destruction 
of  the  human  race ;  but  if  it  can  be  shewn  that  there  is 
every  reason  to  suppose  that  man  was  confined  to  a  limited 
district,  then,  to  accomplish  this  end,  there  was  no  neces- 
sity for  a  universal  deluge.  As  has  been  well  remarked, 
"  The  supposition  of  such  miracles  is  highly  improbable, 
not  to  say  irreverent.  Wlien  we  are  confuting  the  pro- 
digies of  the  heathen,  we  are  accustomed  to  point  out  their 
want  of  an  adequate  object,  their  apparent  uselessness; 
and  we  ought  not  rashly  to  expose  the  miracles  of  Scripture 
to  a  similar  reproach.'* 

Upon  a  review  of  ,the  whole  subject,  we  conceive 
that  the  discoveries  of  science  go  to  demonstrate,  that  the 
deluge  of  Noah  could  not  have  been  universal.  All  the 
arguments  which  have  been  stated,  appear  to  us  to  be 
strong,  if  not  conclusive  proofs  that  the  flood  did  not  cover 
tlie  whole  earth.     So  strong  and  convincing  did  the  argu- 


*  King's  "  Geologij  and  Religion"  p.  127.     The  same  line  of  argiuneiit 
is  there  very  forcibly  stated. 


156      SCEIPTUEAL  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  DELUGE. 

ment  appear  to  Hugh  Miller,  that  he  gives  his  opinion  of 
it  in  the  following  terms.  "  The  argument  on  the  general 
question  is  a  cumulative  one  ;  and  while  many  of  its  com- 
ponent portions  are  of  themselves  so  conclusive,  that  only- 
supposititious  miracle,  and  not  presentable  argument,  can 
be  arrayed  against  them,  its  aggregate  force  seems  wholly 
irresistible."  *  The  same  view  of  a  local  deluge  has  been 
adopted  by  Dr.  Pye  Smith,  Dr.  Hitchcock,  Professor  Sedg- 
wick, Dr.  King,  and  all  our  most  accomplished  Biblical 
geologists.i* 

II.  But  we  now  proceed  to  the  second  part  of  our 
subject,  and  inquire,  What  are  the  scriptural  statements  on 
the  deluge?  Wliether  they  do,  or  do  not,  conflict  with 
the  scientific  view  of  its  limited  extent? 

We  have  the  scriptural  narrative  of  the  deluge  in  the 
sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Genesis. 
We  are  there  informed  that  the  wickedness  of  men  became 
so  great,  that  God  resolved  to  destroy  them.  Noah  and 
his  family  alone  found  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord ;  and 
accordingly  he  was  divinely  commanded  to  prepare  an 
ark  to  the  saving  of  his  house.  "  And  God  said  unto 
Noah,  the  end  of  all  flesh  is  come  before  me :  for  the  earth 
is  filled  with  violence  through  them :  and,  behold,  I  will 
destroy  them  with  the  earth.  Make  thee  an  ark  of  gopher 
wood.  And,  behold,  I,  even  I,  do  bring  a  flood  of  waters 
upon  the  earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh,  wherein  is  the  breath 
of  life,  from  under  heaven  :  and  every  thing  that  is  in  the 
earth  shall  die."     Into  this  ark  Noah  was  enjoined  to  take 

*  Miller's  "  Testimony  of  the  Rocks"  p.  344. 

t  Some  writers,  in  order  to  avoid  the  difficulties  which  heset  a  uiuTer- 
sal  deluge,  and  who  yet  are  unwilling  to  abandon  the  idea  of  it,  suppose 
that  after  the  deluge  there  was  a  new  creation  of  plants  and  animals, 
different  from  those  which  existed  before  that  catastrophe. 


UNIVEESAL  TEADITION.  157 

two  of  every  kind  of  unclean  animals,  and  seven  of  every 
kind  of  clean  animals,  to  keep  seed  alive  upon  the  earth : 
and  he  was  also  ordered  to  provide  of  all  fruit  that  is  eaten, 
both  for  himself  and  for  them.  Seven  days  after  he  had 
entered  the  ark,  we  are  informed  that  the  flood  came,— 
"  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up,  and  the 
windows  of  heaven  were  opened ;  and  the  rain  was  upon 
the  earth  forty  days  and  forty  nights."  So  great  was  the 
quantity  of  water,  that  "  all  the  high  hills,  that  were  under 
the  whole  heaven,  were  covered.  Fifteen  cubits  upward 
did  the  waters  prevail;  and  the  mountains  were  covered." 
The  effects  of  the  deluge  are  represented  as  consisting  in  a 
total  destruction  of  life.  "  And  all  flesh  died  that  moved 
upon  the  earth,  both  of  fowl,  and  of  cattle,  and  of  beast, 
and  of  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth, 
and  every  man.  All  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breath  of 
life,  of  all  that  was  in  the  dry  land  died."  After  the  lapse 
of  a  little  more  than  a  year,  the  ark  rested  on  the  mountains 
of  Ararat,  and  Noah  and  those  who  were  with  him  in  the 
ark  came  forth  on  dry  land. 

Now  we  have  the  most  convincing  proof  that  such  a 
deluge,  as  caused  the  destruction  of  the  whole  human  race, 
did  occur.  There  is  scarcely  any  fact  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment which  is  confirmed  by  such  irresistible  collateral 
evidence.  It  forms  part  of  the  traditions  of  every  nation. 
In  all  lands  of  the  Old  World,  in  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa ; 
among  the  ancient  Greeks,  Komans,  Egyptians,  Chaldeans, 
Phenicians,  Germans,  and  Scythians;  in  Judea,  Persia, 
China,  and  the  South  Sea  Islands,  there  exist  traditions  of 
a  universal  deluge.  And  the  same  traditions  have  been 
discovered  in  the  New  World;  the  Mexicans,  Peruvians, 
and  the  savage   tribes   of  America,    all   possessed  their 


158  UNIVEESAL  TEADITION. 

accounts  of  this  catastrophe.*  Every  nation  has  its  Noah 
"who  was  alone  saved  among  the  world  of  the  impious.  And 
what  is  most  singular  is,  that  although  these  traditions  are 
mixed  with  fables,  yet  they  all  have  some  of  the  circum- 
stances narrated  in  the  Mosaic  account.  In  most  of  them 
we  read  about  the  ark;  in  some  about  the  raven  and  the 
dove  that  were  sent  from  it ;  in  others  of  the  olive  branch 
which  the  dove  brought  back ;  and  in  others  of  the  different 
kinds  of  animals  that  were  taken  into  the  ark ;  in  short, 
almost  the  entire  scriptural  account  of  the  deluge  could  be 
collected  from  the  traditions  of  the  various  nations.  Thus, 
for  example,  in  the  description  of  Deucalion's  flood,  as 
given  us  by  Lucian,  we  are  told  that,  "  in  a  universal 
deluge  which  covered  the  whole  earth,  Deucalion  alone 
was  preserved,  on  account  of  his  piety  and  justice.  He 
built  a  great  ark,  and  entered  into  it  with  his  wife  and 
children;  and  there  came  to  him  in  pairs,  boars,  horses, 
lions,  serpents,  and  all  other  creatures  that  lived  on  the 
face  of  the  earth ;  and  they  sailed  together  with  him  in  the 
same  ark  as  long  as  the  water  prevailed."  And  Plutarch 
tells  us,  that  "  a  dove  was  sent  out  by  Deucalion  from  the 
ark,  which  entering  into  the  ark  again  was  a  sign  of  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  flood,  but  afterwards  flying  away  was  a  sign 
of  serene  weather."-f"  In  short,  so  remarkable  a  consistency 
of  such  general  traditions  must  by  every  reasonable  man 
be  regarded  as  demonstrative  proof  that  a  deluge  did  occur 
co-extensive  with  the  whole  human  race. 


*  See  a  most  interesting  account  of  these  different  traditions,  in 
Miller's  "  Testimony  of  the  Rocks,"  lecture  seventh.  See  also  Faber's 
•'Horse  Mosaic*;"  Bryant's  "Analysis  of  Ancient  Mythology;"  and 
Professor  Hitchcock's  "  Historical  and  Geological  Deluges  compared." 

t  Horne's  "  Introduction  to  the  Scriptures,"  Vol.  i.  p.  157.  Ninth 
Edition. 


UNIVEESAL  TBADITION.  159 

It  has  been  argued  that  a  universal  tradition  of  a  deluge 
is  a  proof  that  tlie  deluge  also  must  liave  been  universal 
in  its  extent;  because  traditions  exist  in  every  country, 
therefore,  it  has  l)een  inferred,  the  deluge  nnist  have 
extended  over  every  country.  A  very  little  consideration 
will  prove  that  this  inference  is  erroneous.  If,  indeed, 
every  nation  had  a  distinct  Noali  of  its  own,  then  the 
inference  would  hold  good;  but  if  there  were  only  one 
Noah,  then  it  is  evident  that  there  must  also  be  one  centre 
of  tradition.  Wlien  nations  emioTated  from  the  orii^inal 
abode  of  the  human  race  they  would  carry  their  traditions 
with  them,  and  as  these  traditicms  became,  in  the  course 
of  time,  confused  and  corrupted,  they  would  attach  their 
narratives  of  the  deluge  to  their  own  particular  districts. 
Such  a  universal  tradition  does  not  prove  that  the  deluge 
was  universal  as  regards  the  earth,  l)ut  merely  that  it  was 
universal  as  regards  the  human  race;  that  all  men  were 
swept  away  by  it,  and  that  only  Noah  and  his  family  sur- 
vived. It  is  a  strong  and  irresistible  corroboration  of  the 
scriptural  account  of  the  deluge,  as  regards  the  destruction 
of  mankind;  but  it  has  no  relation  whatever  to  its  geo- 
graphical extent, — whether  the  waters  covered  the  whole 
earth,  or  were  only  limited  to  a  particular  district  in  western 
Asia. 

Let  us,  then,  direct  our  attention  to  the  scriptural  state- 
ments concerning  the  geographical  extent  of  the  deluge. 
Now,  it  is  at  once  admitted  that  the  Bible  does,  at  first 
view,  seem  to  teach  the  universality  of  the  flood,  so  that, 
if  it  were  not  for  the  discoveries  of  science,  this  view  of 
the  subject  would  have  been  in  general  acquiesced  in. 
We  are  expressly  told  that  "  the  waters  prevailed  exceed- 
ingly on  the  earth ;  so  that  aU  the  high  hills,  that  were 
under  the  whole  heaven,  were  covered,"  and  that  "  all  flesh 


160  UNIVEESAL  TEEMS. 

died  tliat  moved  upon  the  earth,  both  of  man  and  beast." 
What  terms,  it  is  asked,  can  be  more  universal,  and  if  they 
are  to  be  interpreted  in  a  limited  sense,  what  certainty  can 
there  be  in  the  language  of  Scripture? 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  term  earth,  as  employed  in 
the  Old  Testament,  often  denotes  merely  the  land  or  the 
locality  wherein  the  writer  dwelt.  At  other  times  it  is 
employed  to  signify  that  portion  of  the  dry  land  inhabited 
by  man,  as  the  ancients  could  have  no  knowledge  of  what 
was  beyond  this.  Universal  terms  are  also  very  frequently 
employed  in  Scripture  to  denote  only  a  very  large  num- 
ber.* The  scriptural  instances  of  this  are  very  numerous ; 
we  merely  mention  a  few,  taken  at  random.  Thus  it  is 
said,  that  all  "  countries  came  into  Egypt  to  Joseph  for  to 
buy  corn," — a  statement  which,  it  is  evident,  can  only 
refer  to  the  countries  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of 
Egypt ;  it  being  impossible  that  in  those  days  men  could 
journey  from  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  earth  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  corn  in  Egypt.  "  This  day,"  said 
God  to  the  Israelites,  "will  I  put  tlie  fear  of  thee  upon 
the  nations  that  are  under  the  whole  heaven;"  but  from 
the  narrative  it  appears  that  it  is  only  the  Canaanites  and 
the  nations  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  who  are  here 
meant.  "The  fear  of  David,"  we  are  informed,  "went 
forth  into  all  lands,  and  the  Lord  brought  the  fear  of  him 
upon  all  nations," — expressions  which  can  only  be  used 
in  a  limited  sense,  as  denoting  Egypt  and  the  nations  of 
western  Asia.  "  All  the  earth,"  it  is  said,  "  sought  to  Solo- 
mon to  hear  his  wisdom," — an  expression  which,  although 

*  Dr.  Pye  Smith  has  truly  observed,  "  To  those  who  have  studied  the 
phraseology  of  Scripture,  there  is  no  rule  of  interpretation  more  certain 
than  tliis,  that  universal  terms  are  often  used  to  signify  only  a  very  large 
amount  in  number  or  quantity." — "  Scripture  and  Geology"  p.  268. 


THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  POPULATION.  161 

apparently  universal,  can  only  embrace  a  comparatively 
small  portion  of  the  earth.  And  even  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, there  are  universal  terms  which  require  a  similar 
limitation  to  be  given  to  their  meaning.  Thus,  in  St. 
Luke's  gospel,  we  are  told,  that  "  there  went  out  a  decree 
from  Cffisar  Augustus,  that  all  the  world  should  be  taxed ;" 
which  can  only  refer  to  the  countries  belonging  to  the 
Roman  empire.  In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  we  are 
informed,  that  "  there  were  dwelling  in  Jerusalem,  Jews, 
devout  men,  out  of  every  nation  under  heaven;"  yet,  in 
the  enumeration  which  follows,  the  region  is  limited  to 
Persia  in  the  east,  Italy  in  the  west,  Egypt  and  Arabia  in 
the  south,  and  Pontus  or  the  Black  Sea  in  the  north.  So 
also  St.  Paid,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  says,  that  the 
"  gospel  was  preached  to  every  creature  which  is  under 
heaven;"  a  declaration  wdiich  must  necessarily  be  under- 
stood in  a  limited  sense. 

But  it  is  said  that  there  are  cu-cumstances  in  the  scrip- 
tural account  of  the  deluge  which  prove  that  the  universal 
terms  there  employed  must  be  taken  in  their  full  extent. 
It  is  argued  that  before  the  deluge  the  earth  was,  in  all 
probability,  as  populous  as  it  is  now,  and  that  if  this  were 
the  case  the  flood  must  have  been  imiversal,  in  order  to 
have  destroyed  the  whole  human  race.  Sixteen  hundred 
years  elapsed  between  the  creation  and  the  deluge,  which 
period,  especially  considering  the  great  age  of  the  antedi- 
luvians, it  is  thought,  must  have  been  sufficient  to  have 
peopled  the  whole  world.  Accordingly,  very  ingenious 
calculations  have  been  made  as  to  the  population  of  the 
antediluvian  world.  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet  supposes  ten 
thousand  millions  to  be  a  very  moderate  estimate.*     But 

*  The  calculation  by  which  Dr.  Burnet  arrives  at  this  extraordinary 
result,  is  given  us  in  the  23d  page  of  his  "  Sacred  Theory,"  vol.  i.     The 


162  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  POPULATION. 

this  and  other  similar  calculations  proceed  on  the  omission 
of  one  very  important  fact  recorded  in  the  sacred  narra- 
tive. We  are  informed  that  "the  earth  was  fdled  with 
violence,"  and  that  "  all  flesh  had  corrupted'  his  way  upon 
the  earth."  We  must,  then,  take  into  account  the  effect  of 
human  wickedness  in  diminishing  the  population.  Pales- 
tine may  be  said  to  he  comparatively  a  desert,  when  we 
contrast  tlie  numl)er  of  its  present  inhahitants  with  the 
number  which  it  contained  before  the  Romans  under  Titus 
invaded  the  country.  During  the  invasion  of  tlie  northern 
hordes  of  barbarians  into  the  Eoman  empire,  the  number 
of  inhabitants  in  Italy  was  greatly  reduced,  and  that  coun- 
try has  never  recovered  its  former  population.  So  also  all 
conquerors  liave  lessened  the  population  of  those  countries 
which  they  have  invaded.  In  the  West  Indies,  the  Spa- 
niards in  the  course  of  a  very  few  years,  completely 
depopulated  thickly  inhabited  districts;*  and  the  same 
was  the  effect  of  their  conquests  of  the  once  flourishing 
empires  of  Mexico  and  Peru.  The  inhabitants  of  many  of 
the  islands  in  the  South  Seas  are  rapidly  decreasing  in 
number.  The  extreme  violence  of  the  antediluvians,  then, 
must  have  put  an  effectual  check  to  any  great  increase  in 
their  population ;  and  would,  perhaps,  had  not  the  divine 
judgment  interposed,  have  terminated,  in  the  course  of  time, 
in  total  extinction. 

population  of  the  globe  at  present  is  considerably  less  than  a  thousand 
millions;  so  that,  according  to  Burnet,  before  the  flood  it  was  ten  times 
greater. 

*  A  most  interesting  and  painful  account  of  the  cruelties  of  the  Spa- 
niards in  the  West  Indies  is  given  us  by  Washington  Irving  in  his  "Life 
of  Columbus."  If  the  antediluvians  were  equal  to  them  in  wickedness, 
the  population  before  the  flood  must  have  been  veiy  small  indeed:  and 
yet  the  Spaniards  were  not  only  professing  Christians,  but  many  of  them 
religious  fanatics. 


SUBSIDENCE  OF  THE  LAND.  163 

It  is  further  argued  that  there  are  several  expressions 
wliich  prove  that  the  deluge  must  have  been  universal. 
For  example  we  read: — "All  the  high  hills  that  were 
under  the  whole  heaven  were  covered.  Fifteen  cubits 
upward  did  the  waters  prevail:  and  the  mountains  were 
covered."  If,  then,  the  flood  covered  the  higli  hills,  and 
especially  as  the  lofty  Ararat  was  one  of  these  hills,  it 
must,  on  the  principle  of  water  finding  its  level,  have 
covered  the  whole  earth.  But  this  objection  is  founded  on 
an  error  in  physical  science.  Geology  has  demonstrated 
that  the  changes  on  the  earth's  surface  do  not  arise  from 
any  change  in  the  ocean,  but  in  the  land :  the  level  of  the 
sea  has  remained  for  ages  nearly  the  same  throughout  the 
globe;  it  is  the  land  which  has  changed.  If,  then,  there 
were,  in  a  portion  of  western  Asia,  a  subsidence  of  the 
land,  and  if  the  subsidence  continued  so  tliat  all  the  high 
hills  of  the  district  were  covered  with  water,  it  would  be 
no  proof  whatever  that  the  whole  world  was  similarly  sub- 
merged under  the  ocean.*  According  to  appearances,  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  sea  advanced  upon  the  land,  and 
would  have  been  so  described  by  an  unscientific  observer, 
whereas  in  reality  it  was  the  land  that  had  sunk.-f-  And  it 
is  also  to  be  observed  that,  in  the  very  district  of  western 
Asia,  there  is  a  large  portion  of  land,  around  the  Caspian 
and  Dead  seas,  which  is  several  feet  below  the  level  of  the 


*  An  example  of  an  extensive  submergence  of  land  occurred  in  1819 
at  Cutcli  in  the  delta  of  the  Indus:  a  large  tract  of  laud,  2000  square 
miles  in  area,  was  by  an  earthquake  converted  into  an  inland  sea. 

t  When  in  1822  a  large  tract  of  Chili,  about  a  hundred  miles  from 
north  to  south,  and  containing  an  area  of  about  100,000  square  miles, 
was  elevated  from  two  to  seven  feet  above  its  former  level,  the  natives 
believed,  not  that  the  land  had  risen,  but  that  the  ocean  had  permanently 
retreated. 


164  NEW  INTEEPEETATIONS  OF  SCEIPTUEE. 

ocean,  and  whose  subsidence  has  been  proved  to  be  of 
comparatively  a  recent  date." 

But  it  has  been  said  that  such  a  limitation  of  the  uni- 
versal terms  with  which  the  deluge  is  described  would 
never  have  been  thought  of,  had  it  not  been  for  the  dis- 
coveries of  science.  Granting  this  to  be  the  case,  what 
follows  from  such  an  admission?  Does  not  science  cast 
light  upon  many  passages  of  Scripture,  and  afford  us  the 
key  to  their  true  interpretation?  Has  not  the  science  of 
astronomy,  for  examj)le,  explained  to  us  several  passages 
which  otherwise  we  had  misinterpreted?  And  if  we  are 
to  allow  astronomy  to  explain  and  illustrate  Scripture,  why 
should  not  geology  also  do  the  same?  If,  according  to  the 
principles  of  philology,  the  passage  admits  of  a  particular 
meaning,  although  it  may  not  be  the  most  obvious  one,  yet 
if  science  has  demonstrated  that  such  a  meaning  is  true, 
surely  there  is  no  violence  done  to  Scripture  by  its  adop- 
tion. AVe  do  not  on  this  principle  render  the  meaning  of 
Scripture  uncertain,  by  saying  that  the  former  interpreta- 
tions were  incorrect,  any  more  than  we  shake  the  foun- 
dations of  science  by  affirming  that  the  former  theories 

*  In  our  translation,  it  is  said  that  tlie  ark  rested  on  the  mountains  of 
Ararat.  It  is  now  generally  agreed  upon  by  biblical  scholars  that  by 
this  is  not  meant  the  lofty  mountain  of  that  name,  but  a  district  of  Ar- 
menia. The  word  is  so  rendered  in  our  translation  in  2  Kings  xix.  37, 
and  Isa.  xxxvii.  38.  Josephus  says  that  "  the  ai-k  rested  on  the  top  of  a 
certain  moimtain  in  Armenia." 

Besides  the  answer  given  to  the  objection  in  the  text,  it  might  be 
replied,  that  the  water  might  be  miraculously  suspended,  by  attractive 
influence,  over  the  district  where  the  flood  occurred,  so  that  all  the  high 
hills  were  covered,  without  supposing  any  subsidence  of  the  land.  In 
either  case  the  miraculous  nature  of  the  deluge  is  asserted ;  for  we  have 
no  sympathy  whatever  with  those  who  attempt  to  explain  away  the 
miracles  of  the  Old  Testament  by  the  natui'al  operations  of  physical 
causes. 


OPINIONS  OF  COMMENT ATOES.  165 

were  false.  Geology  and  other  kindred  sciences  enable  us 
to  give  the  proper  meaning  to  the  Mosaic  narrative  of  the 
deluge ;  they  teach  that  by  the  term  earth  is  meant  only 
the  portion  of  the  world  inhabited  by  man,  and  that  by  all 
flesh  is  meant  tlie  animals  inhabiting  this  district ;  and  this 
limitation  of  universal  terms  is  perfectly  agreeable  to  the 
language  of  Scripture  in  other  places.  Science,  then,  we 
af&rm,  does  not  contradict,  but  only  illustrates  the  Mosaic 
narrative. 

But  it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  such  an  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Mosaic  narrative  would  not  have  been  thought 
of,  except  for  the  recent  discoveries  of  science.  Nearly  a 
hundred  and  iifty  years  before  these  discoveries  were  made, 
and  long  before  geology  as  a  science  was  known,  very  emi- 
nent divines  taught  that  the  deluge  was  local  in  its  extent. 
Bishop  Stilling-fleet,  and  Poole,  the  illustrious  commentator, 
both  entertained  these  views.  "  I  cannot  see,"  says  Bishop 
Stilling-fleet,  "  any  urgent  necessity  from  the  Scripture  to 
assert  that  the  flood  did  spread  over  all  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  That  all  mankind,  those  in  the  ark  excepted,  were 
destroyed  by  it,  is  most  certain,  accoLjiiing  to  the  Scriptures. 
The  flood  was  universal  as  to  mankind ;  but  from  thence  fol- 
lows no  necessity  at  all  of  asserting  the  universality  of  it  as  to 
the  globe  of  the  earth,  unless  it  be  sufficiently  proved  that 
the  whole  earth  was  peopled  before  the  flood,  which  I  despair 
of  ever  seeing  proved."*  "  It  is  not  to  be  supposed,"  says 
Poole,  "  that  the  entire  globe  of  the  earth  was  covered  with 
water.  Where  was  the  need  of  overwhelming  those  regions 
in  which  there  were  no  human  beings?  It  woidd  be  highly 
unreasonable  to  suppose  that  mankind  had  so  increased, 
before  the  deluge,  as  to  have  penetrated  to  all  the  corners  of 
the  earth.    It  is,  indeed,  not  probable  that  they  had  extended 

*  Stillingfleet's  "  Origines  Sacra"  book  iii.  chap.  iv. 


166  GEOLOGY  IN  FAVOUE  OF  THE  DELUGE. 

themselves  "beyond  the  limits  of  Syria  and  Mesopotamia. 
Absurd  it  would  be  to  affirm  that  the  effects  of  the  punish- 
ment inflicted  upon  men  alone,  applied  to  places  in  which 
there  were  no  men.  If,  then,  we  should  entertain  the 
belief  that  not  so  much  as  the  himdredth  part  of  the  globe 
was  overspread  with  water,  still  the  deluge  would  be  uni- 
versal, because  the  extirpation  took  effect  upon  all  the  part 
of  the  world  which  was  inhabited.  If  we  take  this  ground, 
the  difficidties  which  some  have  raised  about  the  deluge 
faU  away  as  inapplicable  and  mere  cavils ;  and  irreligious 
persons  have  no  reason  left  them  for  doubting  the  truth  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures."* 

If  we  adopt  the  opinion  that  the  deluge  was  limited  in 
extent,  then  not  only  are  there  no  geological  facts  contrary 
to  it,  but  strong  presumptions  in  its  favour.  Geologists 
have  proved  that  very  extensive  deluges  must  have  occur- 
red over  and  over  again.  It  is  one  of  the  most  recognised 
facts  in  their  science  that  a  subsidence  of  the  land  has 
frequently  taken  place,  and  that  lofty  mountains  have  been 
submerged  under  the  sea.  And  especially  in  the  geologi- 
cal period  immediate]^  before  the  present,  in  the  drift  era, 
there  must  have  been  repeated  instances  of  extensive 
diluvial  action,  and  some  of  them  at  a  very  modern  period. 
Violent  deluges  must  have  swept  over  large  portions  of  the 
earth.  These  are  supposed  to  have  been  occasioned  by  the 
elevation  of  mountain  chains  which  caused  the  ocean  to 
sweep  over  the  adjoining  lands.  Some  suppose  that  these 
elevations  have  been  slow  and  gradual ;  others  regard  them 
as  sudden.  Many  of  our  most  distinguished  geologists 
af&rm  that  the  drift  era  may  have  extended  even  to 
modern  and  historic  times;  and  that  some  of  its  last 
deposits  may  have  been  formed  since  man  was  created; 
*  Poole's  "  Si/nopsis  on  Genesis  vii." 


GEOLOGY  IN  FAVOUE  OF  THE  DELUGE.  1 67 

and  therefore  that  there  is  no  natural  impossibility  or 
improbability  in  supposing  that  a  similar  cause  may  have 
Ijroduced  the  deluge  of  Noah.  This  is  the  opinion  of  so 
accomplished  and  cautious  a  geologist  as  Professor  Sedg- 
wick, and  expressed  by  him  also  at  the  very  time  when  he 
publicly  declared  liis  conviction  that  the  drift,  taken  as  a 
whole,  was  not  the  effect  of  the  deluge.  "  Though,"  says 
he,  "  we  have  not  yet  found  the  certain  traces  of  any  great 
diluvian  catastrophe  which  we  can  affirm  to  be  within  the 
human  period ;  we  have,  at  least,  shown  that  paroxysms  of 
internal  energ}^,  accompanied  by  the  elevation  of  mountain 
chains,  and  followed  by  mighty  waves  desolating  whole 
regions  of  the  earth,  were  a  part  of  the  mechanism  of 
nature.  And  what  has  happened,  again  and  again,  from 
the  most  ancient  up  to  the  most  modem  periods  in  the 
natural  history  of  the  earth,  may  have  happened  once 
during  the  few  thousand  years  that  man  has  been  living 
on  its  surface.  We  have  therefore  taken  away  all  anterior 
incredibility  from  the  fact  of  a  recent  deluge ;  and  we  have 
prepared  the  mind,  doubtmg  about  the  truth  of  things  of 
which  it  knows  not  either  the  origin  or  the  end,  for  the 
adoption  of  this  fact  on  the  weight  of  historic  testimony."* 
And  in  his  "  Geology  of  the  Lake  district,"  he  expresses 
himself  in  similar  terms :  "  If  we  have  the  clearest  proofs 
of  great  oscillations  of  sea-level,  and  have  a  right  to  make 
use  of  them,  while  we  seek  to  explain  some  of  the  latest 
phenomena  of  geology,  may  we  not  reasonably  suppose, 
that,  within  the  period  of  human  history,  similar  oscilla- 
tions have  taken  place  in  those  parts  of  Asia  which  were 
the  cradle  of  our  race,  and  may  have  produced  that 
destruction  among  the  early  families  of  men,  which  is 
described  in  our  sacred  books,  and  of  which  so  many  tra- 

*  Sedgwick's  "  Address  to  the  Geological  Society"  1831,  p.  34. 


168  DUTY  TO  INVESTIGATE  TEUTH. 

ditions  have  been  brought  down  to  us  through  all  the 
streams  of  authentic  history?" 

It  becomes  us  at  all  times  to  follow  the  truth  wherever 
it  conducts,  to  cultivate  a  sincere  affection  for  it,  and  not 
to  be  diverted  or  turned  aside  from  its  pursuit.  Nor  need 
we  be  afraid  that  one  truth  shall  ever  contradict  another. 
As  Scripture  is  the  infallible  word  of  God,  we  may  rest 
■satisfied  that  all  the  discoveries  of  science  and  all  the  rea- 
sonings of  a  sound  philosophy  will  only  render  homage  to 
its  divinity,  and  serve  to  confirm  and  illustrate  its  con- 
tents. And  let  it  be  remembered  that  Scripture  has  its  own 
evidences, — evidences  which  for  multitude,  and  variety, 
and  strength,  and  clearness  amount  to  absolute  demonstra- 
tion,— evidences  which  no  attacks  of  infidelity  have  ever 
been  able  to  shake, — and  therefore,  whatever  may  be  the 
discoveries  of  science,  however  apparently  at  variance  they 
may  be  with  the  statements  of  revelation,  we  may  be  per- 
fectly sure,  that  there  is  not,  and  there  cannot  be  any  real 
contradiction  ;  the  peculiar  evidences  of  revelation  remain 
untouched.  Religious  men,  indeed,  have  with  mistaken  zeal 
attacked  scientific  discoveries,  as  if  opposed  to  revealed 
truths,  and  in  modern  times  no  science  has  been  more  fre- 
quently the  object  of  these  attacks  than  geology;  but  it  so 
happens,  that  probably  no  science  has  numbered  among  its 
votaries  more  men,  who  are  eminent  alike  for  their  piety 
and  for  their  scientific  attainments,  and  whose  religious 
convictions,  far  from  being  weakened  or  disturbed,  have 
been  increased  and  confirmed  by  the  illustrations  which 
geology  has  afforded  them  of  revealed  truth,  and  by  the 
lofty  conceptions  which  it  has  been  the  means  of  foster- 
ing within  them  of  the  beneficence  and  wisdom  and 
grandeur  of  God. 


CHAPTEE   VII. 

DIVINE  BENEVOLENCE  ILLUSTEATED  BY  GEOLOGY. 

The  works  of  creation  reveal  to  us  the  existence  and  some 
of  the  attributes  of  the  Supreme  Creator.  God  has  im- 
pressed His  perfections  upon  the  things  which  He  has 
made.  His  goodness,  especially,  is  made  known  to  us  in 
nature.  "  The  Lord,"  says  the  Psalmist,  "  is  good  unto  all, 
and  His  tender  mercies  are  over  all  His  works."  "  God," 
says  the  apostle,  "  hath  never  left  Himself  without  a  wit- 
ness, in  that  He  doeth  good."  And  our  blessed  Saviour 
tells  us  that  our  heaveidy  Father  is  kind  even  to  the 
unthankful  and  the  evil  Not  only  revelation,  but  crea- 
tion, throughout  all  its  works,  proclaims  that  God  is  good. 
The  things  which  God  has  made,  whilst  they  reveal  to  us 
His  eternal  power  and  Godhead,  at  the  same  time  disclose 
to  us  His  infinite  benevolence.  This  divine  attribute  is 
impressed  on  every  thing  which  we  behold.  We  see  it 
in  the  glory'and  grandeur  of  the  sun,  in  the  mild  radi- 
ance of  the  moon,  in  the  brilliancy  of  the  fixed  stars,  in 
the  perpetual  revolutions  of  the  seasons,  and  in  the  con- 
stant succession  of  day  and  night.  We  read  it  in  the 
verdure  which  adorns  the  earth,  in  the  beauty  of  the 
flowers,  and  in  the  corn  which  covers  our  fields.  We  see 
it  in  the  happiness  of  the  inferior  creation,  in  the  warbhng 
of  the  birds,  in  the  fluttering  of  the  insects,  and  in  the  life 
and  activity  and  joy  which  everywhere  abound  in  a  sum- 


170  GOODNESS  OF  GOD 

mer's  evening.  We  experience  it  in  tlie  frame  and  con- 
stitution of  our  bodies,  in  the  faculties  and  emotions  of 
our  souls,  in  our  intercourse  with  our  friends,  in  the  inter- 
change of  thought  and  affection,  in  the  comforts  of  domes- 
tic and  social  life,  and  in  the  peace  and  safety  afforded  hy 
the  institution  of  government.  But  not  less  clearly  is  this 
attribute  inscribed  upon  the  rocks.  Geology,  whilst  it 
reveals  to  us  the  grandeur  of  God,  and  enlarges  our  concep- 
tions of  His  empire  as  extending  through  the  vast  cycles 
of  a  past  duration,  and  furnishes  us  with  convincing  proofs 
and  striking  examples  of  His  almighty  power  and  infinite 
wisdom,  also  affords  us  new  displays  and  bright  mani- 
festations of  His  unbounded  benevolence,  and  proclaims, 
in  language  intelligible  to  all  who  listen,  that  God  is  good. 
Dr.  Paley,  in  his  masterpiece,  the  "  Natural  Theology," 
discoursing  upon  the  goodness  of  the  Deity,  brings  for- 
ward two  most  conclusive  arguments  in  proof  of  it.  The 
first  is,  that  "  in  a  vast  plurality  of  instances  in  which 
contrivance  is  perceived,  the  design  of  the  contrivance  is 
beneficial:'  This  argument  he  happily  illustrates  by  a 
variety  of  well  chosen  instances;  and,  indeed,  we  have 
just  to  open  our  eyes  and  look  around  to  see  proofs  and 
examples  of  beneficent  contrivance.  Although  pain  and 
evil  exist  in  the  world,  yet  the  original  purpose  of  every 
thing  appears  to  be  eminently  beneficent.  Nothing  can  be 
discovered  the  chief  design  of  which  is  to  produce  pain  or 
disease.  "  Evil,"  observes  Paley,  " no  doubt,  exists;  but  is 
never,  that  we  can  perceive,  the  object  of  contrivance." 
The  original  and  main  design  is  the  production  of  happi- 
ness ;  evil  is  a  mere  incidental  effect,  but  is  in  no  sense 
whatever  the  purpose  of  the  contrivance.  "  Teeth  are  con- 
trived to  eat,  not  to  ache;  their  aching  now  and  then  is 
incidental  to  the  contrivance,  perhaps  inseparable  from  it ; 


SEEN  IN  HIS  WORKS.  171 

but  it  is  not  the  object  of  it.  In  describing  implements  of 
husbandly,  you  would  hardly  say  of  the  sickle,  that  it  is 
made  to  cut  the  reaper's  hand;  though,  from  the  construc- 
tion of  the  instrument,  and  the  manner  of  using  it,  this 
mischief  often  follows.  But  if  you  had  occasion  to  describe 
instruments  of  torture  or  execution ;  this  engine,  you  would 
say,  is  to  extend  the  sinews;  this  to  dislocate  the  joints; 
this  to  break  the  bones ;  this  to  scorch  the  soles  of  the  feet. 
Here  pain  and  misery  are  the  very  objects  of  the  contriv- 
ance. Now,  nothing  of  this  sort  is  to  be  found  in  the 
works  of  nature." 

Dr.  Paley's  second  argument  is,  that  "the  Deity  has 
superadded  pleasure  to  animal  sensations,  beyond  what 
w^as  necessary  for  any  other  purpose,  or  when  the  purpose, 
so  far  as  it  was  necessary,  might  have  been  effected  by  the 
operation  of  pain."  The  examples  of  the  truth  of  this 
observation  are  innumerable.  The  world  is  full  of  the 
instances  of  the  Divine  liberality.  The  beanty  which  is 
painted  on  the  flowers,  the  delightful  odours  which  are 
wafted  to  us  by  the  summer's  breeze,  the  landscapes  which 
are  spread  out  before  us,  the  agreeable  sounds  which  ever 
fluctuate  in  our  ears,  the  pleasantness  of  the  seasons,  and  the 
gratification  which  we  find  in  the  exercise  of  our  faculties, — 
all  these  are  pleasures,  superadded  beyond  what  is  necessary 
for  the  perfect  operation  of  the  laws  of  nature,  proofs  and 
manifestations  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  refreshing  and 
cheering  streams  which  proceed  from  the  ever-flowing 
fountain  of  the  Divine  benovolence.  "  0  Lord,  how  mani- 
fold are  Thy  works!  in  wisdom  hast  Thou  made  them  all; 
the  earth  is  full  of  Thy  riches."  * 

It  is  necessary,  however,  that  caution  be  exercised,  and 

*  Paley's  " Natural  Theology"  chap.  xxvi. — " The  goodness  of  the 
Deity."     The  whole  chapter  is  well  worthy  of  most  attentive  study;  the 


172  FINAL  CAUSES. 

tliat  more  especially  when  we  apply  the  argument  to  past 
geological  ages,  in  asserting  what  is  the  main  design  of  any 
contrivance  or  object.  In  the  world  which  now  exists, 
there  are  abundance  of  direct  proofs  of  the  truth  of  Dr. 
Paley's  propositions;  but  in  those  worlds  which  have 
passed  away,  we  may  be  unable  to  assert  with  confidence, 
what  are  the  chief  purposes  which  God  had  in  view  in  cer- 
tain of  His  works ;  and  therefore  it  is  perhaps  pressing  the 
argument  too  far  to  assert  that  the  design  of  certain  geolo- 
gical phenomena  was  wholly  or  chiefly  the  good  of  men. 
Still,  however,  although  there  may  be  other  reasons,  yet  if 
the  happiness  and  welfare  of  men  are  evident,  though  it 
may  be  incidental  effects  of  these  phenomena,  there  is  a 
strong  presumption  that  there  was  in  their  occurrence  a 
prospective  provision  for  the  good  of  man.  We  cannot,  for 
example,  assert  that  the  chief  design  of  the  sun  or  moon 
is  to  illuminate  the  earth,  yet  we  have  no  doubt  that  this 
is  one  of  their  uses  intended  by  the  Creator.  God's 
works  are  known  unto  Him  from  the  beginning,  all  are 
comprehended  in  the  great  scheme  of  providence,  and 
all  are  so  arranged  as  to  be  a  system  of  mutual  adapta- 
tions. This  world  was  in  a  course  of  preparation  for 
man  ages  before  his  existence,  and  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth  there  were  designedly  stored  up  and  prepared  for 
him  materials  for  his  comfort  and  benefit,  the  want  of 
which  would  greatly  have  impeded  his  progress  in  civilisa- 
tion, and  materially  impaired  his  happiness.  "  I  would  in 
this,  as  in  all  other  cases,"  observes  Dr.  Buckland,  "be 
unwilling  to  press  the  theory  of  relation  to  the  human 
race,  so  far  as  to  contend  that  all  the  gi'eat  geological  phe- 

reasoning  is  admirable,  and  several  passages  are  of  great  beauty.  We 
think,  however,  that  Paley  has  overlooked  too  much  the  justice  of  God  in 
the  answers  which  he  gives  to  the  objections  against  the  Divine  goodness. 


DIVINE  GOODNESS  TOWARD  THE  INFERIOR  ANIMALS.    173 

nomena  we  have  been  considering  were  conducted  solely 
and  exclusively  with  a  view  to  the  benefit  of  man-  We 
may  rather  count  the  advantages  he  derives  from  them  as 
incidental  and  residuary  consequences;  which,  although 
they  may  not  have  formed  the  exclusive  object  of  creation, 
were  all  foreseen  and  comprehended  in  the  plans  of  the 
great  Architect  of  that  globe,  which,  in  His  appointed  time, 
was  destined  to  become  the  scene  of  human  habitation."* 

In  this  chapter,  we  propose  to  apply  the  arguments  of 
Dr.  Paley  to  geology ;  to  consider  the  beneficial  contrivances 
and  the  superadded  pleasures  which  that  science  discloses ; 
to  direct  attention  to  the  geological  proofs  of  the  Divine 
benevolence.  And  in  doing  this,  we  shall  mention  several 
instances  which  geology  exhibits  of  the  goodness  of  God. 
not  only  as  regards  the  human  race,  but  also  as  regards 
the  inferior  animals. 

I.  And  the  first  instance,  which  naturally  suggests  itself, 
is  the  fact,  that  vast  numbers  of  animals  enjoyed  existence 
in  past  geological  ages. 

Geology  carries  our  thoughts  back  to  the  mjTiads  of 
ages  which  are  past,  and  shows  us  this,  our  world,  the 
habitation  of  unnumbered  creatures,  the  works  of  the 
Supreme  Creator.  Now  the  goodness  of  God  is  seen  in 
the  creation  of  the  inferior  animals.  Indeed,  no  other 
reason  for  their  creation  can  be  assigned  than  that  tliey 
should  enjoy  existence.  It  is  impossible  to  suppose  that 
God  created  animals  to  be  miserable,  or  endowed  them 
with  life  to  render  their  existence  a  curse.  So  far  as  we 
can  perceive,  there  is  a  far  larger  amount  of  happiness  tha  ti 
of  misery  among  the  inferior  animals  in  their  natural  stat^. 
The  simple  fact  of  their  existence,  then,  is  proof  of  a  positive 
amount  of  happiness,  and  of  the  Divine  benevolence.    Now 

*  IJuckland's  "  Bridgewaier  Treatise,"  Vol.  i.  p.  99. 


]  74  GOODNESS  OF  GOD 

we  .have  every  reason  to  apply  this  line  of  argument 
to  the  entire  series  of  past  creations.  Geology  thus  extends 
the  benevolence  of  God  to  the  past;  it  reveals  to  us 
His  goodness,  as  being  exercised  during  millions  of  years 
before  man  was  formed,  in  calling  innumerable  creatures 
into  being,  and  causing  them  to  rejoice  in  His  benevolence. 
In  meditating  on  the  goodness  of  God,  we  are  too  apt  to 
restrict  its  manifestations  to  the  human  race,  and  to  forget 
that  it  likewise  extends  to  and  embraces  the  inferior  ani- 
mals. They,  as  well  as  we,  are  the  objects  of  the  Divine 
benevolence.  The  goodness  of  God  is  seen  in  their  preser- 
vation and  in  the  provisions  made  for  their  happiness.  He 
has  furnished  them  with  a  proper  supply  of  necessary 
food;  He  has  adapted  their  forms  and  organs  to  their 
peculiar  nourishment;  He  has  superadded  pleasure  to 
their  animal  sensations ;  He  has  provided  amply  for  all 
their  wants  out  of  the  riches  of  His  liberality;  He  has 
implanted  within  them  various  instincts  and  inclinations, 
to  the  satisfaction  of  which  He  has  aimexed  enjoy- 
ment; He  has  fitted  their  natures  to  the  elements  and 
climates  in  which  they  live ;  He  has  clothed  them  with 
suitable  coverings ;  He  has  imparted  to  them  different  dis- 
positions and  qualities  according  to  their  natures ;  and  He 
has  bestowed  upon  them  either  weapons  for  the  capture 
and  destruction  of  their  prey,  or  else  means  of  defence 
against  the  attacks  of  foes.  "  These  all  wait  upon  Thee, 
that  Thou  mayest  give  them  their  meat  in  due  season. 
That  Thou  givest  them,  they  gather;  Thou  openest  thine 
hand  and  satisfiest  the  desire  of  every  living  creature." 
"The  pastures  are  clothed  w^ith  flocks;  the  valleys  also 
are  covered  over  with  corn,  they  shout  for  joy,  they  also 
sing."  And  our  blessed  Saviour  directs  our  special  atten- 
tion to  this  care  and  kindness  of  God  toward  the  inferior 


TOWAED  THE  INFERIOR  ANIMALS.  175 

creation.  "  Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air ;  for  they  sow  not, 
neither  do  they  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns;  yet  your 
Heavenly  Father  feedeth  them."  "  Are  not  two  sparrows 
sold  for  a  farthing?  and  one  of  them  shall  not  fall  to  the 
ground  without  your  Father." 

Now  the  argument  stands  thus: — The  same  kindness 
and  care,  which  God  now  exercises  toward  the  inferior 
animals,  were  exercised  during  the  past  geological  ages. 
In  the  fossil  organic  remains  we  find  as  numerous  instances 
of  benevolent  design  and  contrivance  as  in  living  animals. 
Each  animal  then,  as  now,  was  provided  for  by  the  care  of  our 
heavenly  Father ;  each  then,  as  now,  had  its  appropriate  food, 
was  endowed  with  its  peculiar  instincts,  and  was  adapted 
to  the  climate  in  which  it  lived ;  and  therefore,  we  conclude 
that  each  then,  as  now,  was  an  object  of  the  Divine  benevo- 
lence. It  is  this  extension  of  the  same  benevolence,  which 
is  now  exercised  toward  the  inferior  animals,  to  the  im- 
measurable ages  of  the  past,  that  constitutes  the  disclosure 
of  geology.  The  goodness  of  God  is  thus  seen  in  a  far  vaster 
number  and  greater  variety  of  living  creatures,  and  the 
manifestations  of  it  are  thus  multiplied  and  increased 
indefinitely. 

The  existence  of  carnivorous  animals  is  no  objection  to 
the  goodness  of  God  toward  the  inferior  creation.  This 
system  of  things  in  reality  increases  the  happiness  of  the 
lower  animals.  It  permits  a  far  larger  number  to  exist 
and  to  share  in  the  Divine  bounty;  it  employs  the  dead 
bodies  of  animals  as  the  means  of  sustaining  and  affording 
enjoyment  to  a  vast  quantity  of  other  creatures ;  and  as  to  the 
fact  of  death  by  beasts  of  prey,  this  is  in  general  less  pain- 
ful to  the  inferior  animals  than  death  by  disease  or  old  age.* 

*  See  this  subject  fully  treated  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  this  work — "  On 
the  existence  of  death  among  the  inferior  animals  before  sin." 


I  76  IGNEOUS  AND  AQTJEOUS  AGENCIES. 

II.  We  derive  our  second  proof  of  Divine  benevolence 
from  the  geological  agencies  of  change  which  operate  upon 
the  surface  of  the  earth.  We  shall  mention  only  two 
examples  of  these  geological  agencies. 

Almost  all  the  changes  which  have  occurred  on  the  surface 
of  the  globe  have  been  effected  by  igneous  and  aqueous 
agencies.  The  igneous  agency  has  been  the  instrument 
of  raising  land  to  a  higher  level,  elevating  it  may  be 
the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  forming  all  those  chains 
of  mountains  which  are  upon  the  earth.  The  aqueous 
agency,  on  the  contrary,  has  been  the  instrument  of 
reducing  land  to  a  lower  level,  wearing  down  mountains  by 
means  of  streams  and  rivers,  transporting  earthy  materials, 
and  strewing  them  along  the  ocean  bed.  Fire  constitutes 
the  one  agency :  its  effects  are  seen  in  the  upheavings  of 
the  earthquake  and  in  the  melted  matter  which  issues 
from  the  volcano.  These  effects,  at  first  sight,  appear  to  be 
evils ;  but  their  influence  in  elevating  the  land,  and  coun- 
teracting the  degrading  effects  of  the  aqueous  agency,  is 
eminently  beneficial.  Water  constitutes  the  other  agency : 
its  effects  are  seen  in  the  transporting  power  of  streams, 
rivers,  and  the  ocean.  It  is  in  itself  a  great  reservoir 
of  life,  and  contains  a  far  vaster  number  of  inhabitants 
than  the  dry  land.  But  especially  is  the  goodness  of  God 
seen  in  the  balance  which  is  sustained  between  these  two 
agencies ;  they  form  an  equipoise  to  each  other.  If  the 
igneous  agency  were  the  greater,  the  land  would  be  all 
elevated  into  mountain  chains,  and  the  ocean  confined  in 
deep  chasms ;  whereas,  if  the  aqueous  agency  were  the 
greater,  the  sea  would  have  in  the  course  of  ages  covered 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  earth's  surface.  But  God  has  set 
bounds  to  both:  He  has  said  to  the  violence  of  the  volcano 
as  well  as  to  the  billows  of  the  sea,  "  Hitherto  shalt  thou 


DISINTEGKATION  AND  CONSOLIDATION.  177 

come  and  no  farther  ;"  He  weighs  the  mountains  in  scales, 
whilst  He  measures  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand  ; 
and  thus,  by  this  nice  adjustment  of  these  mighty  agencies 
in  nature,  He  imparts  a  stability  to  the  world,  and  deriv(^,s 
permanence  as  the  result  of  a  series  of  changes,  and  security 
as  the  effect  of  the  most  awful  convulsions. 

Another  class  of  agencies  on  the  surface  of  the  earth 
arise  from  disintegration  and  consolidation.  In  this  also, 
we  discover  the  proofs  of  the  Divine  benevolence.  The  dry 
land  is  composed  partly  of  soft  earthy  materials,  and  partly  of 
hard  and  compact  stones  or  rocks  ;  now  these  are  the  effects 
of  disintegration  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  consolidation  on 
the  other.  By  disintegration  the  rocky  materials  are 
pulverised,  worn  down,  and  converted  into  what  we  com- 
monly call  earth.  This  is  done  by  means  of  the  chemical 
influence  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  mechanical  influence 
of  water.  All  the  earth,  and  soil,  and  loose  materials  on 
the  surface,  are  nothing  more  than  rocks  ground  to  powder 
by  the  mighty  agency  of  nature.  The  necessity  and  utility 
of  this  are  seen  in  the  formation  of  soils.  If  disinte- 
gration did  not  exist,  there  would  be  no  soils,  and  con- 
sequently no  plants  could  grow  upon  the  earth,  and  as 
a  farther  consequence  no  animal  life  could  possibly  exist ; 
the  world  would  be  converted  into  a  frightful  desert,  an 
entire  mass  of  rock,  unanimated  by  a  single  living  organism. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  opposite  agency,  consolidation, 
is  no  less  necessary.  The  loose  materials — sand,  clay,  or 
gravel,  are  again  consolidated  and  converted  into  rock. 
This  is  done  by  pressure  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  by  the 
influence  of  heat,  or  by  some  cementing  substance.  If  it 
were  not  for  this,  we  would  have  no  stones  to  build  for 
ourselves  habitations.  Thus,  then,  by  the  combined  action 
of  these  two  antagonistic  agencies,  the  happiness  and  com- 


178  BENEVOLENT  DESIGN  IN  THE 

fort  of  man  are  provided  for.  The  mighty  hammer  of 
nature  breaks  the  rock  in  pieces,  grounds  it  into  powder, 
and  thus  prepares  it  to  sustain  animal  and  vegetable  life  ; 
whilst,  on  the  other  hand,  the  loose  earthy  materials  are 
formed  into  hard  rock,  and  in  this  compact  state  are 
employed  by  man  in  adding  to  his  comfort  and  happiness. 
III.  A  third  instance  of  the  goodness  of  God  is  seen  in 
the  inclination  of  the  stratified  rocks. 

All  the  stratified  rocks  are  formed  by  the  agency  of 
water  in  estuary  beds  or  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea.     They 
were   originally  deposited  in  a  horizontal  position,  one 
layer  being  placed  upon  the  top  of  another.    They  have  not 
however  remained  in  this  their  original  position  ;  but  have 
been  elevated  by  igneous  agency,  and  have  thus  been 
inclined  to  the  horizon.    They  are  now  found  at  the  earth's 
surface  at  different  inclinations  ;  some  even  perpendicular, 
though  in  general  the  angle  of  inclination  is  small     The 
effect  of  this  is  eminently  beneficial  to  man.     If  the  stra- 
tified rocks  had  not  been  inclined,  if  they  had  remained  in 
their  original  horizontal  position,  the  one  above  the  other, 
they  would  have  been  inaccessible.     The  only  way  by 
which  they  could  have  been  reached  would  have  been  by 
penetrating  into  the  earth  ;  but  all  the  labour  of  man  has 
seldom  been  able  to  penetrate  to  the  depth  of  half-a-mile. 
•Hence  all  those  valuable  materials  which  are  contained 
in  the  rocks — sandstone,  marble,  coal,  mineral  salt,  and 
the  metals,  would  have  been  wholly  beyond  our  reach; 
they  would,  so  far  as  regards  us,  have  had  no  existence ; 
and  thus  we  would  have  been  deprived  of  all  those  things 
which  constitute  the  elements  of  civilisation  and  comfort. 
But  by  the  inclination  of  the  strata,  the  stratified  rocks 
are  accessible  to  a  depth  of  ten  miles,  and  thus  all  those 
useful  deposits  which  they  contain  are  within  the  reach  of 


IKCLINATION  OF  THE  STRATIFIED  EOCKS.  1 79 

Imman  industry,  and  are  bestowed  as  the  reward  of  hviman 
labour.  Tliis,  to  the  inattentive  observer,  insignificant 
circumstance,  is  tlie  source  of  all  our  mineral  wealth  ;  and 
when  we  consider  how  essential  many  of  these  substances 
are  to  civilised  society,  we  must  regard  the  inclination  of 
the  strata  as  a  striking  instance  of  the  goodness  of  God. 

It  is  owing  also  to  the  inclination  of  the  strata,  that 
water  is  so  plentifully  diffused  over  the  earth's  surface. 
By  this  means  are  mountains  and  valleys  formed,  and 
these  give  rise  to  streams  and  rivers.  And,  especially,  this 
is  the  primary  cause  of  wells  and  springs.  The  water, 
being  absorbed  by  the  porous  strata,  is  prevented,  by  means 
of  impervious  rocks,  from  sinking  down  into  the  depths  of 
the  earth ;  and,  at  a  lower  level,  in  consequence  of  the 
inclination  of  the  strata,  it  is  again  given  forth,  as  a  sj^ring 
or  fountain.*  Such,  also,  is  the  cause  of  what  are  called 
Artesian  wells.  By  boring  into  the  surface  of  the  earth 
through  the  inclined  strata  of  impervious  rocks,  a  bed  con- 
taining water  is  reached,  and  the  water,  on  the  principle  of 
a  fluid  finding  its  level,  rises  to  the  surface  of  the  earth,  as 
a  perennial  fountain.  Now,  we  need  not  observe  how 
essential  water  is  for  the  fertility  of  any  portion  of  the 
earth.  To  deprive  it  of  this  element  would  be  to  convert 
it  into  a  Sahara  desert.  But  in  consequence  of  the  simple 
fact,  that  the  strata  are  inclined,  water  is  diffused  over 
nearly  all  lands  ;  and  if  we  regard  the  circulation  of  the 
blood  in  animals,  and  of  the  sap  in  vegetables,  as  a  striking 
instance  of  the  wisdom  of  God,  so  also  is  this  aqueous  cir- 

*  Springs  are  caused  chiefly  by  the  rain  water  percolating  through 
porous  rocks,  or  through  joints  and  fissures,  and  then  coming  to  stiif 
water-tight  rocks,  as  the  argiUaceous  rocks,  so  that  its  fai'ther  downward 
progress  is  prevented ;  and  when  these  porous  rocks  again  appear  at  the 
surface  at  a  lower  level,  the  water  issues  forth  from  them,  according  to 
the  well-known  law  that  water  finds  its  level. 


180  BENEVOLENT  DESIGN  IN  THE 

culation  which  cheers  and  refreshes  the  material  earth,  and 
becomes  the  source  of  fertility  and  enjoyment.  "  He 
sendeth  the  springs  into  the  valleys  which  run  among  the 
hUls.  They  give  drink  to  every  beast  of  the  field ;  the 
wild  asses  quench  their  thirst.  He  watereth  the  hills 
from  His  chambers ;  the  earth  is  satisfied  with  the  fruit  of 
Thy  works." 

IV.  A  fourth  geological  argument  for  the  Divine  bene- 
volence is  derived  from  those  valuable  substances  which  are 
to  be  found  in  the  earth's  crust. 

Perhaps  the  most  valuable  of  all  the  substances  dug  out 
of  the  earth  is  coal.  It  has  been  demonstrated  that  this  is 
almost  entirely  of  vegetable  origin ;  that  it  is  an  assemblage 
of  plants  which  have  become  mineralised  through  heat  and 
pressure.  The  coals  which  we  burn  once  constituted  the 
trees  of  a  past  creation.  Millions  of  years  have  passed 
away  since  these  trees  existed  and  spread  out  their  branches 
into  the  air.  Not  a  single  one  of  their  species  now  sur- 
vives upon  the  surface  of  the  earth  ;  they  have  all  perished, 
and  that  whole  group  of  plants  has  become  extinct.  Tlie 
land  on  which  they  grew  has  been  submerged,  or  the  trees 
have  been  borne  away  by  rivers,  and  deposited  in  estuaries 
or  on  the  ocean  bed  ;  and  these  have  been  kept  for  vast 
ages  as  in  a  store  house,  and  they  now,  in  these  latter  days, 
constitute  the  fuel  of  man.  It  is  marvellous  to  think,  that 
we  are  actually  burning  the  trees  which  grew  upon  the 
earth  millions  of  years  ago,  that  the  forests  of  a  former 
world  supply  us  with  fuel,  and  that  the  relics  of  a  creation 
long  since  extinct  form  our  greatest  riches,  and  are  the  source 
of  our  commercial  prosperity.  "  If,"  observes  Dr.  Hitch- 
cock, "a  created  and  intelligent  being  from  some  other 
sphere  had  alighted  on  this  globe,  during  that  remote 
period  when  the  vegetation  now  dug  out  of  the  coal  forma- 


FOEMATION  OF  COAL.  181 

tion  covered  the  surface  with  its  gigantic  growth,  he  might 
have  felt  as  if  there  was  a  waste  of  creative  power.  Why, 
he  must  have  inquired,  is  there  such  a  profusion  of 
vegetable  forms,  and  such  a  colossal  development  of  indi- 
vidual plants?  To  what  use  can  such  vast  forests  be 
applied?  But  let  ages  roll  by,  and  that  same  being  revisit 
our  world  at  the  present  time.  Let  him  traverse  the  little 
island  of  Britain,  and  see  there  fifteen  thousand  steam- 
engines  moved  by  coal  dug  out  of  the  earth,  and  produced 
by  these  same  ancient  forests.  Let  him  see  these  engines 
performing  the  work  of  two  millions  of  men,  and  moving 
machinery  which  accomplishes  what  would  require  the 
unaided  labours  of  three  or  four  hundred  millions  of  men, 
and  he  could  not  doubt  but  such  a  result  was  one  of  the 
objects  of  that  rank  vegetation  which  covered  the  earth, 
ere  it  was  fit  for  the  residence  of  such  natures  as  now  dwell 
upon  it.  Let  him  go  to  the  coal  fields  of  other  coun- 
tries, and  especially  those  of  the  United  States,  stretching 
over  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  miles,  containing 
a  quantity  absolutely  inexhaustible,  and  already  imparting 
comfort  to  millions  of  the  inhabitants,  and  giving  life  and 
energy  to  every  variety  of  manufocture  through  the  almost 
entire  length  of  the  country,  and  destined  to  pour  out  their 
wealth  through  all  coming  time,  long  after  the  forests  shall 
all  have  been  levelled;  and  irresistible  must  be  the  con- 
viction upon  his  mind,  that  here  is  a  beautiful  example 
of  prospective  benevolence  on  the  part  of  the  Deity."* 
"  However  remote,"  observes  Dr.  Buckland,  "  may  have 
been  the  periods,  at  which  these  materials  of  future  bene- 
ficial dispensations  were  laid  up  in  store,  we  may  fairly 
assume,  that,  besides  the  immediate  purposes  effected  at, 
or  before  the  time  of  their  deposition  in  the  strata  of  the 

*  IIitchcock'8  "Religion  of  Geology"  pp.  178,  179. 


]  82  BENEVOLENT  DESIGN  IN  THE 

earth,  an  ulterior  prospective  view  to  the  future  uses  of 
man,  formed  part  of  the  design,  with  which  they  were,  ages 
ago,  deposited  in  a  manner  so  admirably  adapted  to  the 
benefit  of  the  human  race."* 

But  coal  is  only  one  of  the  many  valuable  materials  found 
in  the  earth.  Lime,  for  instance,  also  abounds.  This  sub- 
stance is  almost  entirely  composed  of  the  coverings  or  shells 
of  animals ;  in  some  kinds  of  limestone  these  shells  are  so 
small  and  microscopic  that  millions  of  them  are  required  to 
constitute  a  very  small  portion.  The  use  of  lime  in  the 
improvement  of  soil,  and  in  cementing  together  the  stones 
of  our  houses  is  universally  known.  Here,  then,  is  another 
prospective  provision  of  God ;  for  the  animals  whose  shells 
constitute  limestone,  lived  ages  before  man  existed.  Sand- 
stone is  another  valuable  substance.  This  has  been  formed 
by  the  action  of  rivers  carrying  down  sand  to  the  sea,  where 
in  the  course  of  ages  it  has  been  consolidated,  and  again 
elevated  to  form  part  of  the  dry  land.  Thus  all  our  build- 
ing stones  were  prepared  ere  yet  man  was  created.  In 
like  manner  all  the  valuable  metals  are  found  in  the  earth's 
crust;  they  are  discovered  in  veins  filling  up  fissures  of 
rocks.  It  has  been  proved  that  the  rocks  had  originally 
no  such  veins ;  and  that  the  metals  were  afterwards,  and 
by  a  slow  process,  deposited  in  them.  These  metals  are 
found  in  various  parts  of  the  earth's  crust ;  and  it  has  been 
remarked  that  the  most  useful,  such  as  iron  and  lead,  are 
the  most  common,  and  found  in  different  kinds  of  rock; 
whereas  those  which  might  better  be  spared,  and  yet  are 
useful  as  standards  of  the  value  of  other  commodities, 
are  rare,  and  each  is  found  only  in  one  particular  rock.f 

*  Buckland's  '■'■  Bridgewater  Treatise"  pp.  537,  538. 
t  "  As  for  metals,"  observes  Ray,  "  they  are  so  many  ways  useful  to 
maukind,  and  those  uses  so  well  known  to  all,  that  it  would  be  lust 


MINEKALS  OF  THE  EAETH.  183 

"  And  if,"  as  Dr.  King  justly  observes,  "  benevolent  design 
appears  in  the  formation  of  coal,  and  lime,  and  the  metals 
individually,  the  illustration  becomes  cumulative  when  we 
view  them  in  conjunction.  Coal  was  prepared  in  one  way ; 
limestone  in  another;  metals  in  a  mode  different  from 
both.  But  after  pursuing  paths  most  unconnected  and  dis- 
similar, they  meet  in  serving  man."* 

Our  own  country,  above  all  other  lands,  has  been  blessed 
with  mineral  wealth.  The  different  geological  formations 
with  their  respective  deposits,  are  to  be  found  in  different 
parts  of  this  island.  Coal,  lime,  sandstone,  fossil  salt,  iron, 
lead,  tin,  and  other  valuable  substances  abound.  It  is  to 
tills,  under  God,  that  we  owe  a  great  part  of  our  national 
wealth  and  prosperity.  We  are  enabled  to  put  into  motion 
the  most  extensive  machinery ;  to  carry  on  a  traffic  almost 
co-extensive  with  the  world;  to  supply  other  nations  with 
our  goods  and  the  products  of  our  country ;  and,  although 
geographically  a  small  and  insignificant  island  in  a  remote 
part  of  the  world,  yet  geologically,  perhaps  the  most 
valuable  spot  of  the  globe,  we  have  become  the  most 
powerful  nation  which  the  world  has  ever  seen,  and  our 
colonies  and  dependencies  occupy  an  extent  of  country  far 
larger  than  the  Koman  empu-e  at  the  period  of  its  greatest 
extension. 

It  may,  however,  be  objected  that  we  are  carrying  the 
argument  too  far.  No  doubt  such  valuable  materials  do  exist 
in  the  earth's  crust — coal,  lime,  sandstone,  and  the  metals ; 

labour  to  say  any  thing  of  them.  Without  the  use  of  these  we  could  have 
nothing  of  culture  or  civility ;  no  tillage  or  agriculture;  no  reaping  or 
mowing;  no  ploughing  or  digging:  no  pruning  or  lopping;  no  grafting 
or  incision;  no  mechanical  arts  or  trades;  no  vessels  or  utensils  of  house- 
hold stuff;  no  convenient  houses  or  edifices;  no  sliipping  or  navigation." 
*  King's  "  Geoloc/ij  and  Religion"  p.  209,  fifth  edition. 


184  PROSPECTIVE  PEO VISION  FOR  MAN. 

and,  no  doubt,  they  are  exceedingly  serviceable  and  advan- 
tageous for  man;  but  liow  do  we  know  that  they  were 
formed  or  deposited  with  a  design  to  his  special  benefit? 
Man  found  them,  and  by  |his  ingenuity  employed  them, 
but  from  this  we  can  draw  no  argument  as  to  their  original 
purpose,  Now,  in  answer  to  this  objection,  it  is  necessary 
to  recall  the  caution  given  at  the  beginning  of  this  chap- 
ter. It  is  true  that  we  cannot  positively  afi&rm  that  the 
exclusive  design  of  these  materials  was  the  benefit  of  man : 
although  with  regard  to  some,  as  the  metals,  it  is  difficult 
to  imagine  any  other  design ;  yet,  if  the  evident  effect  of 
them  is  to  promote  human  happiness,  we  may  reasonably 
infer  that  there  was  a  prospective  provision  for  man,  and 
that  his  benefit  was  one  of  the  objects  which  God  had  in 
view,  and  that  more  especially  as  such  is  the  beneficial 
effect  of  a  great  number  of  substances.  Man  is  the  most 
exalted  being  that  has  appeared  upon  the  earth ;  he  alone 
is  endowed  with  a  reasonable  soul ;  and,  his  creation  and 
existence  being  foreseen  by  God,  it  is  not  at  all  an  impro- 
bable supposition  to  imagine,  that  throughout  the  past 
geological  ages  there  was  provision  made  for  his  hap- 
piness. We  have  many  geological  facts  which  go  to 
demonstrate  that  such  was  actually  the  case,  and  that 
throughout  the  vast  series  of  ages  there  was  a  preparation 
going  on  for  the  special  benefit  of  man.  This  is  the  con- 
clusion which  some  of  the  most  eminent  and  cautious 
geologists  and  naturahsts,  uninfluenced  by  any  theological 
considerations  and  guided  only  by  the  light  of  science, 
have  arrived  at.  It  is  impossible,  within  the  limits  of  this 
work,  to  state  the  grounds  on  which  they  formed  this  con- 
clusion. We  merely  quote  the  words  of  Agassiz,  probably 
the  greatest  naturalist  alive.  "  The  aim  of  the  Creator  in 
forming  the  earth,  in  allowing  it  to  undergo  the  successive 


DIVINE  BENEVOLENCE  IN  VOLCANOES.  185 

changes  which  geology  has  pointed  out,  and  in  creating 
successively  all  the  diiferent  types  of  animals  which  have 
passed  away,  was  to  introduce  man  upon  the  surface  of 
our  globe.  Man  is  the  end  toward  which  all  the  animal 
creation  has  tended  from  the  first  appearance  of  the  first 
palasozoic  fishes."* 

V.  A  fifth  instance  of  the  Divine  benevolence,  derived 
from  geology,  is  the  existence  of  volcanoes.  We  mention 
these  phenomena  especially,  because  they  are  popularly 
regarded  as  being  purely  an  effect  of  the  Divine  dis- 
pleasure. 

When  we  confine  our  views  to  the  disastrous  effects  of 
earthquakes  and  volcanoes,  and  entirely  overlook  the 
beneficial  effects  resulting  from  them,  we  are  constrained 
to  regard  them  as  the  instruments  of  punishment,  rather 
than  as  the  proofs  of  benevolence.  We  see  the  tenible 
effects  of  earthquakes  in  the  sudden  destruction  of  thou- 
sands of  himian  beings.  We  read  in  ancient  history  of  an 
earthquake  which  destroyed  in  the  city  of  Antioch  a 
population  of  upwards  of  two  hundred  thousand.  In  1692, 
Port  Eoyal,  the  capital  of  Jamaica,  with  nearly  all  its 
inhabitants,  was  swallowed  up  or  submerged  under  the  sea. 
In  1755,  the  great  Lisbon  earthquake  took  place;  the 
greater  part  of  the  city  was  destroyed,  and  in  the  course  of 
six  minutes  sixty  thousand  persons  perished.  In  1773,  the 
town  of  Guatimala,  the  capital  of  that  country,  and  having 
apopulation  of  eight  thousand  families,  was  swallowed  up, 
and  every  vestige  of  its  former  existence  entirely  obliter- 
ated. In  1797,  the  town  of  Eiohamba  in  Peru  was 
destroyed,  and  forty-five  thousand  persons  perished.  The 
effects  of  volcanoes,  although  apparently  more  awful,  have 
not  been  nearly  so  destructive ;  they  are  not  so  sudden  in 

*  Quoted  from  Millek's  "  Testimony  of  the  Rocks,"  p.  211. 
M 


186  DIVINE  BENEVOLENCE  IN  VOLCANOES. 

their  action  as  earthquakes,  and  time  is  generally  afforded 
to  the  neighbonring  inhabitants  to  make  their  escape.  In 
the  celebrated  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  about  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Christian  era,  although  three  cities,  Pompeii, 
Herculaneum  and  Stabise,  were  buried  by  the  lava  and 
volcanic  ashes,  there  was  not  a  great  destruction  of 
human  life,  most  of  the  inhabitants  having  made  their 
escape.  In  1759,  the  mountain  of  Jorullo  in  Mexico 
was  elevated  by  volcanic  agency  to  a  height  of  1600  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  plain,  but  we  do  not  read  that  many 
perished.  The  most  extensive  volcanic  eruption  of  which 
we  have  any  account  is  that  of  Skaptar  Jokul,  a  mountain 
in  Iceland,  which  occurred  in  1783;  a  large  tract  of 
ground  was  converted  into  a  burning  plain,  twenty  villages 
were  destroyed,  and  nine  thousand  persons  perished. 

If  we  attended  only  to  these  terrible  effects,  we  might 
conclude  that  earthquakes  and  volcanoes  are  the  expres- 
sions of  the  Divine  displeasure,  directed  toward  a  sinful 
race ;  and  we  do  not  venture  to  deny  that  such  may  be 
one  of  the  purposes  fulfilled  by  these  phenomena.  But 
still,  when  we  consider  their  nature  and  cause,  we  will,  at 
aU  events,  discern  goodness  as  weU  as  severity.  There 
are,  in  all  probability,  beneath  the  earth's  crust  vast  oceans 
of  melted  matter,  and  if  there  were  no  vent  for  the  expansive 
gases  and  vapours,  the  whole  world  would  be  destroyed. 
Now  it  is  the  upward  movement  of  these  confined  fires 
wliich  constitutes  the  earthquake,  and  their  escape  which 
gives  rise  to  the  volcano.  It  has  often  been  remarked  that 
the  eruption  of  a  volcanic  vent  puts  a  stop  to  a  series  of 
earthquakes.  Thus,  then,  volcanoes  are  in  reality  the  safety- 
valves  of  the  earth  by  which  the  confined  fires  escape.* 

*  This  is  a  point  on  which  nearly  all  philosophers  are  now  agreed.    It 
was  first  adverted  to  by  Strabo,  in  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era. 


GEOLOGY  THE  HANDMAID  OF  RELIGION.  187 

More  than  two  hundred  of  these  safety-valves  are  scat- 
tered in  different  portions  of  the  earth's  surface ;  and  they 
are  in  reality  the  means  of  preventing  this  world  from 
being  destroyed  in  one  universal  conflagration.  If  these 
vents  were  shut  up,  if  every  passage  from  the  interior  of 
the  earth  to  the  surface  were  closed,  a  universal  upheaving 
and  destruction  would  be  the  inevitable  result, — the  earth 
and  all  that  is  therein  would  be  burned  up. 

Such  are  some  of  the  proofs  which  geology  affords  of 
the  benevolence  of  God.  This  science,  far  from  being, 
as  was  once  supposed,  antagonistic  to  religion,  or  merely 
barren  of  religious  inferences,  affords,  perhaps  more  than 
any  other  science,  abundant  proofs  and  manifestations 
of  the  perfections  of  God.  As  astronomy  extends  our 
conceptions  of  the  exercise  of  these  perfections  through 
the  immensity  of  space ;  so  geology  shows  us  their  devel- 
opment through  the  immensity  of  time.  As  comparative 
anatomy  teaches  us  to  discern  the  wisdom  of  the  Deity  in 
the  innumerable  instances  of  design  in  the  animal  crea- 
tion ;  so  does  geology  exhibit  to  us  the  same  wisdom  in  the 
organization  of  the  fossils  embedded  in  the  rocks  and  in 
the  contrivances  of  past  creations.  And  as  we  have  seen 
in  this  chapter,  the  goodness  of  God  is  clearly  manifested 
in  the  many  benevolent  provisions  which  geology  discloses. 
And,  especially,  there  is  no  science  which  affords  us  such 
direct  proofs  of  the  existence  and  providence  of  God,  seen 
in  His  immediate  interposition  in  the  creation  of  the  dif- 
ferent animals  which  have  successively  occupied  the  earth. 

"  Since,"  says  he,  "  the  craters  of  Etna  have  been  opened,  which  yield  a 
passage  to  the  escape  of  fire,  and  since  burning  masses  and  water  have 
been  ejected,  the  country  near  the  sea-shore  has  not  been  so  niucli 
shaken  as  at  the  time  previous  to  the  separation  of  Sicily  from  Lower 
Italy  when  all  communications  with  the  external  surface  were  closed." 


188  THE  DIVINE  JUSTICE. 

Geology  demonstrates  that  there  was  a  time  when  man 
and  the  present  race  of  animals  were  not,  and  that  nothing 
but  the  agency  of  a  supreme  Creator  can  account  for  their 
existence.  "  Shall  it  any  longer  then  be  said,"^,  observes 
Dr.  Buckland,  "  that  a  science,  which  unfolds  such  abun- 
dant evidence  of  the  being  and  attributes  of  God,  can  rea- 
sonably be  viewed  in  any  other  light  than  as  the  efficient 
auxiliary  and  handmaid  of  religion?  Some  few  there  still 
may  be  whom  timidity,  or  prejudice,  or  want  of  opportu- 
nity allow  not  to  examine  its  evidence ;  who  are  alarmed 
liy  the  novelty,  or  surprised  by  the  extent  and  magnitude 
of  the  views  which  geology  forces  on  their  attention,  and 
who  would  rather  have  kept  closed  the  volume  of  witness, 
w^hich  has  been  sealed  up  for  ages  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  than  impose  on  the  student  in  natural  theology 
the  duty  of  studying  its  contents;  a  duty,  in  which  for 
lack  of  experience  they  may  anticipate  a  hazardous  or  a 
laborious  task,  but  which,  by  those  engaged  in  it,  is  found 
to  afford  a  natural  and  righteous  and  delightful  exercise  of 
their  highest  faculties,  in  multiplying  the  evidences  of  the 
existence  and  attributes  and  providence  of  God."* 

It  becomes  us,  however,  in  our  reflections  on  the  bene- 
volence of  God,  not  to  lose  sight  of  His  eternal  justice. 
We  must  beware  of  regarding  God  as  a  Being  who  is 
1)enevolent  at  the  expense  of  His  other  attributes ;  who  is 
too  good  to  punish  the  guilty,  or  who  is  not  moved  to 
righteous  indignation  on  account  of  sin.  Such  is  not  the 
God  whom  the  Scripture  reveals ;  and  such  is  not  the  God 
whom  nature  makes  known.  From  several  of  the  benevolent 
contrivances  we  observe  in  nature  suffering  may  result  as 
well  as  happiness.    The  earthquake  and  the  volcano,  espe- 

*  Buckland's  •'  Bridgewater  Ti-eatise,"  pp.  593,  594. 


CROSS  OF  CHEIST.  189 

cially,  carry  destruction  with  them  to  thuusauds.  These 
are  not  examples  of  unmixed  benevolence.  Many  instances 
could  also  be  produced  of  God's  holy  indignation  against 
sin,  and  of  the  connexion  which  he  has  established  in  Pro- 
vidence between  sin  and  its  punishment.  The  benevo- 
lence of  God  is  a  benevolence  toward  a  sinful  race ;  it  is 
mercy  mingled  with  judgment. 

Indeed  in  nature  there  are  several  difficulties  connected 
with  our  consideration  of  the  Divine  benevolence;  some 
enigmas  which  man  by  his  own  unassisted  reason  cannot 
solve.  God,  as  it  were,  reveals  Himself  in  two  different 
characters,  as  a  God  of  love  and  a  God  of  justice.  We  see 
these  different  manifestations  often  in  the  same  event ;  the 
earthquake  which  destroys  its  thousands  is  yet  the  source 
of  general  good.  This  led  the  heathen  to  imagine  that 
there  were  in  reality  two  gods ;  the  one  the  source  of  all 
that  was  good,  and  the  other  the  cause  of  all  that  was  evil. 
Eevelation,  however,  has  solved  the  difficulty;  it  reveals 
God  to  us,  as  a  God  of  infinite  benevolence  and  yet  of 
inflexible  justice;  and  whereas  nature  disclosed  these 
attributes  as  apparently  in  opposition  to  each  other,  reve- 
lation teaches  us  that  a  divine  harmony  subsists  between 
them.  In  the  great  scheme  of  salvation  through  a  cruci- 
fied Kedeemer,  the  justice  and  mercy  of  God  meet  together; 
and  from  the  cross  of  Christ,  God  proclaims  Himself  to  us 
His  sinful  creatures  to  be,  at  one  and  the  same  time,  the 
just  God  and  the  mercifid  Father.  It  is  only  when  we 
realise  the  element  of  moral  evil,  and  contemplate  the 
Divine  character  as  revealed  to  us  in  Scripture,  that  we  are 
enabled  to  discover,  in  all  its  extent  and  fulness,  the  bene- 
volence of  the  great  Creator.  Why  moral  evil  should 
exist  at  all  is  a  profound  mystery  which  has  baffled  the 
faculties  of  men  from  the  beginning,  and  wliich  may  justly 
be  regarded  as  insolvable;  but  it  is,  we  have  reason  to 


190  CKOSS  OF  CHRIST. 

believe,  the  very  benevolence  of  God  which  causes  Him  to 
punish  the  wicked,  in  order  to  the  promotion  and  preser- 
vation of  the  happiness  of  the  universe  at  large ;  and  there- 
fore it  is  most  unwarrantable,  whilst  we  continue  in  sin 
and  impenitence  and  in  the  neglect  of  the  provisions  of 
the  gospel,  to  trust  to  that  benevolence  for  escape  from  the 
punishment  which  our  sins  have  merited. 


INDEX 


Agassiz — on  the  renewal  of  organised 
beings,  54: ;  on  the  transmutation  of 
species,  69 ;  on  the  prospective  pro- 
vision for  man,  184. 

Amazon — sediment  of  its  waters,  13. 

Anderson,  Eev.  John,  D.D. — his  opi- 
nion of  the  creative  days,  93. 

Animals— number  of  existing  species, 
150 ;  their  distribution,  151 ;  Divine 
goodness  toward  them,  173. 

Ansted,  Professor  —  his  "  Ancient 
World"  quoted,  100,  108,  131. 

Antediluvian  population,  161. 

Anti-geologists — theories  of,  38. 

Antiquity  of  the  earth — proved  from 
the  stratified  rocks,  29 ;  proved  from 
the  fossil  remains,  35. 

Ararat,  Mount,  164. 

Arbuthnot,  John,  M.D. — on  the  size  of 
the  ark,  150. 

Ark,  size  of,  149. 

Artesian  weUs,  179. 

Astronomy— compared  with  geology, 
40 ;  proves  the  antiquity  of  the  uni- 
verse, 41. 

Auvergne  volcanoes,  147. 

Babbage,  Charles,  Esq. — on  the  anti- 
quity of  the  earth,  40. 

Bakewell,  Robert,  Esq. — on  the  fossils 
of  Guadaloupe,  43. 

Beaumont,  M.  Elie  de — his  theory  of 
geological  cycles,  107,  108. 

Bronn,  Professor — on  the  number  of 
fossil  species,  17. 

Buckland,  Dr. — on  the  creation,  99;  on 
the  necessity  of  caution  in  proposing 
theories  of  reconciliation.  111;  on 
the  death  of  the  lower  animals,  132 ; 
his  "ReUquiaj  DiluviansD,"  142;  on, 


the  diluvium,  143;  on  the  relations 
of  the  earth  to  the  uses  of  man,  172 ; 
on  the  goodness  of  God  in  the  depo- 
sition of  coal,  181 ;  on  geology  as 
the  handmaid  of  religion,  188. 

Buck's  Theological  Dictionary — arti- 
cle on  the  deluge,  140. 

Burnet,  Dr.  Thomas — his  "  Theory  of 
the  Earth,"  138,  161. 

Calvin — on  the  Mosaic  account  of  the 
creation,  88 ;  on  the  changes  at  the 
fall,  115. 

Carnivorous  animals  —  designed  by 
God,  120;  their  use,  130,  132;  no 
objection  to  the  Divine  goodness, 
175. 

Chalmers,  Dr. — on  the  creation,  98. 

Changes  on  the  earth's  surface,  11, 
176. 

Characteristic  fossils,  17. 

Coal  formations,  180. 

Conglomerates,  15,  33. 

Consolidation,  177. 

Creation — its  commencement,  22,  23; 
Mosaic  account  of,  46,  80 ;  different 
systems  of,  55;  meaning  of  the 
word,  89. 

"  Creative  week,"  the,  115,  121. 

Gu\'ier — on  identity  of  Egyptian  mum- 
mies with  Kving  species,  61 ;  on  the 
correlation  of  fonus,  62 ;  on  the  crea- 
tion, 93,  95 ;  on  the  distribution  of 
animals,  152. 

Death — before  the  Adamic  creation, 
116;  the  punishment  of  disobedi- 
ence, 123;  as  it  regards  the  lower 
animals,  128;  as  it  regards  man,  133 

Deluge  —  its    supposed    universality, 


192 


INDEX. 


136 ;  limited  in  its  extent  and  effects, 
146;  scriptm-al  narrative,  156;  uni- 
versal tradition,  157. 

Deucalion,  deluge  of,  158. 

Development  hypothesis,  on  the,  57, 
59,  61,  63. 

Disintegration,  177. 

Distribution  of  animals,  151. 

Drift  or  diluvium — its  nature,  109, 
142 ;  not  caused  by  the  deluge,  144. 

Earth — changes  on  its  surface,  11;  its 
internal  heat,  24;  its  mutability, 
25;  its  antiquity,  29,  39;  prepared 
for  its  inhabitants,  67;  its  future 
condition,  76. 

Earthquakes,  185. 

Egyptian  mummies  identical  ^vith  liv- 
ing species,  61. 

Extinction  of  species,  70. 

Fall — supposed  changes  at  the,  114, 
121 ;  sentences  after  the,  125. 

Fathers,  the  Christian — their  inter- 
pretation of  Gen.  i.  1,  48. 

Fleming,  Dr. ;  on  the  deluge,  142. 

Formations,  list  of  geological,  19,  55. 

Fossils ;  characteristic,  17 ;  their  order 
and  succession,  20,  21,  55;  their 
abundance,  116;  not  the  effects  of 
the  deluge,  141. 

Ganges,  sediment  of  its  waters,  13. 

Geological  periods,  51. 

Geological  system  of  progression,  66. 

Geology;  a  sketch  of,  11;  compared 
with  astronomy,  40 ;  illustrates  Scrip- 
ture, 46;  confirms  Scripture,  49; 
opposed  to  the  development  theoiy, 
63. 

God — contemplation  of  His  works,  9; 
His  goodness,  169;  His  justice,  188. 

Guadaloupe  fossil  skeletons  of  men,  43. 

Hales,  Dr.,  on  the  size  of  the  ark,  150. 

Hanis'  "  Pre-Adamite  Earth,"  129. 

Heat,  internal,  of  the  earth,  24,  40. 

Hebrew  language,  its  conjunctive  pre- 
fix, 90. 

Herschell,  Sir  William;  on  celestial 
distances,  42. 

Hitchcock,  Professor;  on  the  number 
of  fossil  species,  17 ;  on  geology  and 
astronomy,  41;  on  the  drift  period, 
109 ;  on  a  succession  of  races  among 
the  lower  animals,  129 ;  on  the  coal 
deposits,  180. 


Home's  "Introduction  to  the  Scrip- 

tm-es,"  140,  158. 
Humboldt,  Alexander  von,  on  celestial 

distances,  42. 
Hutchinson's  "  Moses'  Principia,"  139. 

Iceland;  the  seat  of  volcanic  action, 

104,  186. 
Igneous  and  aqueous  agencies,  15, 176. 
Indefinite  periods,  theory  of,  92. 
Introduction  of  species,  71. 

Jamieson,  Professor;  his  adoption  of 
the  theory  of  indefinite  periods,  93, 
95. 

Justice  of  God,  188. 

King,  Rev.  David,  LL.D. — on  the  Mo- 
saic and  heathen  cosmogonies,  81; 
on  the  reconciliation  between  Geo- 
logy and  Genesis,  111;  on  the  abuse 
of  miracles,  155;  on  the  geological 
proofs  of  the  Divine  benevolence, 
183. 

Kirby,  Eev.  WiUiam;  his  diluvian 
hyijothesis,  139. 

Kitto,  Dr.;  150. 

Knajip,  Dr. ;  his  hypothesis  of  the  Mo- 
saic vision  of  creation,  85. 

Lamarck  on  the  transmutation  of 
species,  59,  63. 

Limestone,  116,  182. 

Lonsdale,  William,  Esq. — on  micro- 
scopic shells,  116. 

Lyell,  Sir  Charles — on  the  sediment  of 
the  Ganges,  13;  his  "Principles  of 
Geology,"  14 ;  on  the  falls  of  Nia- 
gara, 33  ;  on  the  delta  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, 37;  on  the  recent  origin  f)f 
man,  44;  on  the  Egyptian  mum- 
mies, 66;  on  existing  shells  in  the 
Tertiary  periods,  100;  on  Etna  and 
the  Auvergne  volcanoes,  147. 

MaccuUoch,  John,  M.D. — on  geologi- 
cal periods,  32. 

Man — recent  origin  of,  43,  71;  pro- 
spective provision  for,  184. 

Metals— 182. 

Microscopic  fossil  shells,  116. 

Miller,  Hugh — on  the  geological  system 
of  pi'ogression,  65,  66;  on  the  future 
economy,  76,  78;  his  "  Footprints  of 
the  Creator,"  77 ;  on  theMosaic  vision 
of  creation,  86 ;  on  the  creative  days, 
93;  on  existing  species  before  the 
Adamic  creation,  101 ;  on  death  be- 
fore the  Adamic  creation,  117;    on 


INDEX. 


198 


the  size  of  the  ark,  150;  on  plants 
and  tlie  deluge,  153 ;  on  the  extent  of 
the  deluge,  156. 

Mississippi — its  delta,  37. 

iliracles  —  proved  by  geology,  73; 
abuse  of,  154. 

Mosaic  account  of  the  creation,  46,  80 ; 
the  deluge,  156. 

Murchison,  Sir  Eoderick  —  on  the 
earliest  forms  of  organic  life,  23 ;  on 
the  fish  of  the  Silurian  system,  64. 

Mythical  theory  advanced  by  Profes- 
sor Powell,  83. 

Niagara,  falls  of,  33. 
Nummulitio  limestone,  116. 

Organic  life  involves  death,  122. 
Organic  remains,  116. 
Owen,  Professor — on  the  recent  origin 
of  man,  46. 

Palej',  Dr. — his  "  Natural  Theology," 

refen-ed  to,  132,  170. 
Patrick,  Bishop,  on  Genesis  i.,  49. 
Perm,    Granville,    Esq. — his  theories, 

38,  139. 
Phillips,   Professor — on  the   different 

creations  of  species,  53 ;  on  the  mol- 

lusca  of  the  Snowdonian  rocks,  63. 
Physico-theological  school,  the,  138. 
Plants  could  not  survive  a  universal 

deluge,  153. 
Poole,  Matthew,  on  the  deluge,  165. 
Population,  antedihivian,  161. 
Powell,  Professor — his  hypothesis  on 

the  Mosaic  account  of  creation,  83. 
Providence — Miraculous,  73;  special, 

74. 

Ray  on  Metals,  182. 

Revelation — see  Scripture. 

Richardson,  G.  F.,  Esq. — on  the  order 
of  the  stratified  rocks,  18;  on  the 
slow  formotion  of  stratified  rocks,  30 ; 
on  the  recent  origin  of  man,  46. 

Rocks,  their  formation,  15. 

Science — its  use,  27 ;  in  hannony  with 
revelation,  112. 

Scripture — its  style  with  regard  to 
natvu-al  phenomena,  87;  its  state- 
ments with  regard  to  death,  124;  its 
account  of  the  deluge,  156. 

Scrope,  O.  Poulett,  Esq — on  the  Au- 
vergne  volcanoes,  147. 


Sedgwick,  Professoi- — on  the  earliest 
fonnsof  organic  life,  24;  on  tlie  de- 
velopment hypothesis,  60;  on  the 
fish  of  the  Silurian  system,  64;  on 
organic  changes,  :  68,  70 ;  on-^  the 
recent  origin  of  man,  72;  on  the 
changes  of  organic  types,  107;  on 
prematui-e  theories  of  reconciliation, 
111 ;  on  the  drift  and  the  deluge,  144 ; 
on  geological  deluges,  167. 

SiUinian,  Professor — his  theoiy  of 
creation,  93. 

Silurian  formation,  23,  55,  63. 

Sime's  "  Mosaic  record  in  harmony 
with  the  geological,"  85. 

Siu  the  sting  of  death,  133. 

Smith,  Dr.  J.  Pye — on  characteristic 
fossils,  18;  on  the  alternations  of  sea 
and  land,  22;  on  the  style  of  the 
Mosaic  account  of  creation,  84 ;  on  the 
conjunctive  prefix  of  the  Hebrew, 
90 ;  his  theory  of  reconciliation  be- 
tween Geology  and  the  Mosaic  nar- 
rative of  the  ci-eation,  102;  on  the 
hannony  between  science  and  revel- 
ation, 113;  on  the  anatomical  struc- 
ture of  animals,  120 ;  an  organic  Hfe 
involving  death,  122;  on  the  miracles 
necessary  for  a  universal  deluge, 
152 ;  on  the  use  of  universal  terms, 
160. 

Somerville,  Mrs. — on  Iceland,  104. 

Species — number  of  fossil,  17 ;  succes- 
sion of  fossil,  53 ;  extinction  and  in- 
troduction of,  70;  number  of  exist- 
ing, 150. 

Stillingfleet,  Bishop— on  the  deluge, 
165. 

Strabo,  on  earthquakes  and  volcanoes, 
186. 

Stratified  rocks — their  formation,  15, 
16,30;  their  order,  18;  their  thick- 
ness, 19 ;  slowness  of  their  foi-mation, 
30 ;  time  required  for  their  deposi- 
tion, 31;  their  inclination,  178. 

Stuart,  Professor  Moses — on  the  lan- 
guage of  Scripture  with  regard  to 
natural  objects,  87. 

Sumner,  Archbishop — on  the  creation, 
98. 


Taylor,  Isaac,  Esq. — on  special  provi- 
dence, 75. 
Tertiary  periods,  100. 
Theory  of  a  new  geological  era,  105. 
Time — its  reference  to  geology,  31,  51. 
Traditions  of  the  deluge,  157. 


194 


INDEX. 


Transmutation  of  spectes,  58. 


Uniformitists — hypothesis  of  the,  108. 
Universal  terms,  160. 
Unstratified  rocks,  16. 


"  Vestiges  of  creation,"  57. 
Volcanoes — of  Auvergue,  147;  proofs 
of  the  Divine  benevolence,  185, 186. 


Water,  fresh  and  salt — the  effects  of, 
153. 

Waters  of  the  deluge,  148. 

Wealden  formation,  36. 

Whewell,  Dr. — on  new  meanings  at- 
tached to  scriptiu-al  expressions,  48. 

Whiston — his  "  Theory  of  the  earth," 
139,  148. 

Wiseman,  Cardinal — on  geology  as 
the  handmaid  of  revelation,  50. 

Woodward,  Dr. — on  the  deluge,  138. 


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